Several studies pointed out the promising use of nutritional diagnosis methods for the determination of optimum nutrient contents and critical levels in plant tissues. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the optimum nutrient content for soybean, estimated by the Mathematical Chance (ChM), Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) and Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) methods. The optimum nutrient contents estimated by DRIS and CND where identical to the mean content in the reference population. Apart from the nutrients […]

In western Santa Catarina state, Brazil, swine manure is commonly used as nutrient source for crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of swine manure on chemical attributes of a Red Latosol (Hapludox), cultivated with corn under no-tillage conditions. Two experiments were carried out using different rates of liquid swine manure (0, 40 and 115 m-3 ha-1 year-1), applied annually at corn sowing, from 2000 to 2004, in Chapecó and from 2001 to 2004, in Guatambu. After the last […]

Water erosion is the most deleterious form of soil degradation. Besides reducing the production capacity of soils for crops, it causes strong financial and environmental impacts, due to the nutrient losses associated with it. This research work was developed with the objective of quantifying water and soil losses, P, K, Ca, and Mg losses in runoff water and extracted P, and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg losses in runoff sediments, caused by rainfall erosion, in an experiment conducted under natural […]

The mixture of forage seeds with mineral fertilizers can make intercropping systems possible by reducing competition with the grain-producing crop. However, if the mixture is prepared too early before sowing, the emergence and establishment of the forages can be negatively affected. Therefore, experiment were carried out in laboratory and greenhouse conditions, in Botucatu, São Paulo, to evaluate Brachiaria brizantha seed germination as related to the time of contact with distinct chemical fertilizers. The experiment had a completely randomized block design, […]

The objective of this report was to verify the form of vertical and horizontal spatialization of chemical, physical and water quality indicators of a Typic Haplortox cultivated with citrus. The ‘Valencia’ orange grove on ‘Rangpur’ lime was planted in 1995, in the county of Alto Paraná, northwestern Paraná, Brazil. In August 2002, undisturbed and disturbed samples were collected for chemical, physical and water analysis. Twenty-four transects were sampled perpendicular to the tree trunk, in two layers (0-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m depth) […]

Lowland soils are seasonally flooded for rice cultivation and undergo alternate oxidation and reduction conditions, which modify the soil solid mineral phase and the dynamics of highly reactive elements such as phosphorus. Low-crystallinity forms of iron oxides and hydroxides become predominant with time. They could be the most important components in phosphorus adsorption during dry periods, and could control phosphorus release after flooding. The objective of this study was to evaluate the maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity (MPAC) of some lowland […]

Soil fertility levels in the Agreste region, state of Paraíba, Brazil are generally low. Usually, animal manure is applied to soils to supply agricultural crops with nutrients. However, depending on the quality of the manure applied, incorporation can lead to soil nitrogen immobilization in the beginning of the growing season. It was hypothesized that planting and incorporating crotalaria (Crotalaria juncea) together with animal manure could synchronize the nutrient mineralization pattern more specifically with crop demand. In 2003, field and green-house […]

Surface liming efficiency can be increased through water-soluble organic compounds released by plant residues. However, it is unknown if the contents of these compounds in crop residues can be modified by lime and phosphogypsum surface applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of lime and phosphogypsum surface applications on the content of water-soluble cations in crop residues of rice, common bean and black oat. The experiment was carried out on a Haplorthox located in Botucatu County, São […]

Soil management systems and fertilization types make differentiated amounts of mineral elements in the soil profile available. The objective of this study was to verify alterations in chemical attributes of a Red Latosol (Typic Haplustox) of Brazilian Savannah under organic and mineral fertilization, vegetation cover in no tillage and conventional tillage systems, and with bean and cotton crops. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with split-plots. Two treatments of soil preparation (no tillage and conventional tillage) were installed […]

The presence of organic ligands in the rhizosphere plays an important role in heavy metal solubilization in soils treated with sewage sludge. Low molecular weight organic acids exuded by roots and/or released by microorganisms are considered mobilizing agents of these metals. The present study determined Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn solubilization kinetics in sewage sludge-treated soils using a mixture of four organic acids (acetic, citric, lactic, and oxalic) in 0.05 and 0.10 mol L-1 solutions. Based on the batch extraction method […]