The mechanisms for salt tolerance are complex and depend upon physiological and anatomical changes occurring in the whole-plant. This research aimed at evaluating ion retention, vegetative growth, and dry matter partitioning by two forage sorghum genotypes [Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench] irrigated with saline water. Selected seeds were sown in plastic pots containing 12 kg a sandy Argisol and grown under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was in completely randomized with treatments arranged in a 2 x 5 factorial design, consisting of […]

The great amount of mineral material with a diameter > 2 mm in soils of the Cerrado biome is an intriguing characteristic that needs highlights the importance of further studies on soil formation, soil classification, land use and management. For a comparison of the morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical, and micromorphological attributes of such skeletal soils, profiles of Petric Plinthosols and Haplic Cambisols from the eastern Goiás, Brazil, were studied and compared with similar profiles described in the literature. A pit […]

Leaching of N added to soils as ammonium or as other forms that transform into it depends partially on nitrification because ammonium is retained by the soil negative charges, while nitrate remains completely in the soil solution. Since the decrease of the soil pH at fertilized sites can negatively affect nitrification, our study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding an acidifying phosphate together with nitrogen fertilizers on nitrogen leaching in an acid soil. The experiment was carried out in […]

The geochemical and mineralogical evolution was studied in three different alteration profiles of ultramafic (serpentine) rocks near Alpinópolis and Fortaleza de Minas, in southwestern Minas Gerais State (Brazil). Soil moisture and temperature regimes are udic and thermic, respectively. The current chemical and mineralogical evolution degree is moderate compared to other basic and ultramafic material of the same area and is characterized by significant losses of Na and Mg and, to a lesser extent, of Ca and Si. Very little K […]

Soil quality can change along the time due to natural events or anthropic activities. The use of organic management practices reduces soil tillage and favors the recovery of soil physical and chemical properties. The objective of this study was to compare the physical, chemical and biological properties of cultivated soils under organic system or conventional tillage system. Six organic and three conventional cultivated areas were selected and soil samples collected in the layers 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm. Physical, chemical […]

The adsorption is the main process responsible for the accumulation of heavy metals in the surface of soil colloids. Detailed knowledge of this phenomenon can contribute to improve the remediation practices for contaminated soil. The free energy (DG0) of Ni adsorption was evaluated in surface (0.0-0.2 m) and subsurface (in the maximum expression of B horizon) samples of a clayey Rhodic Acrudox (RA) and a very clayey Eutric Kandiudalf (EK). Ni was added (2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, […]

Soil contamination by organic compounds, especially by the petroleum-derived, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is a growing problem with serious environmental consequences. To evaluate the environmental impact of these products it is important to understand their effects on plants and the associated microbiota. The effects of PAHs on growth and mycorrhizal colonization of Brachiaria brizantha and Pueraria phaseoloides were evaluated here. Two PAHs, anthracene and creosote, were applied to a soil infested with the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum at varied concentrations: […]

The soil physical quality is fundamental for the sustainability of citrus production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the homogeneity of soil physical quality in-between the rows of an orange orchard with groundcover management systems. The study was performed in an experimental field with groundcover systems in-between the rows of ‘Pêra orange’ on ‘Rangpur’ lime rootstock on a Typic Paleudult, in 1993, in Alto Paraná, in the northwestern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil. An experimental design […]

As a result of anthropogenic activities such as mining, metal industry and agricultural fertilizer application, metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems of today. Phytoremediation denotes the use of plants and micro-biota, together or without soil amendments, to extract, sequester, and/or detoxify pollutants, has been reported to be an effective, non-destructive, inexpensive and socially accepted technique to remediate polluted soils. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of organic amendments in the reduction […]

Among conservation tillage methods, no-till has shown to be the most effective in reducing soil losses caused by rainfall erosion, but with considerable data variation regarding water loss. Considering these aspects, this study was carried out with the objective of evaluating soil and water losses, the chemical demand of oxygen (CDO), electrical conductivity, and the pH of surface runoff, associated with interrill erosion under simulated rainfall. The field study was conducted in October 2003 in Marechal Cândido Rondon county, western […]