Lime incorporation is not desirable in no-tillage systems. Lime is therefore applied on the soil surface, concentrating the product on the first few centimeters of the profile. We evaluated the aftereffects of dolomitic limestone (2.0, 4.9 and 7.8 t ha-1) application, either on surface or incorporated, on the deeper layers of a Typic Haplustox from the Brazilian Cerrado. Soil samples were collected at six, 18 and 30 months after liming at depths of 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm. After six months the pH, […]

Soil compaction has led to reduced soybean yields, but the critical bulk density above which the yield decreases are poorly documented. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the soybean yield (cv. Embrapa 48) in relation to the relative bulk density (Dsr) of a sandy loam (LVd) and a clayey Oxisol (LVef). A greenhouse experiment was carried out in 2001/02 with samples collected at the 0.0-0.2 m layer, sifted through a 4.0 mm sieve, fertilized and compacted in 0.03 m layers in 0.20 high […]

Alleviation of Al rhizotoxicity by Ca and Mg can differ among species and genotypes. Root elongation of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] line N93-S-179 and cvs. Young and Ransom exposed to varying concentrations of Al, Ca and Mg were compared in two experiments using a vertically split root system. Roots extending from a surface compartment with limed soil grew for 12 days into a subsurface compartment with nutrient solution treatments maintained at pH 4.6 with either 0 or 15 µmol L-1 Al. Calcium and […]

Liming is a common practice to raise soil pH and increase phosphorus (P) bioavailability in tropical regions. However, reports on the effect of liming on P sorption and bioavailability are controversial. The process of phosphorus desorption is more important than P sorption for defining P bioavailability. However few studies on the relationship between soil pH and P desorption are available, and even fewer in the tropical soils. The effects of soil pH on P sorption and desorption in an Ultisol […]

First regulations concerning contaminant contents in fertilizers were implemented in the State of Washington, USA. The objective of our study was to consider the events as a possible reference for a similar ongoing situation in Brazil. The significant role of the press, which kept people informed and aware about the problem of waste-derived fertilizers, is discussed. Several groups, some with divergent points of view, were called upon to contribute to the final legislation, which was backed up by relevant technical […]

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) plays an important role in the greenhouse effect, owing to its high global warming potential and a long half-life in the atmosphere. A large portion of the natural N2O flux is oceanic and the remaining results mainly from the contribution of microbiological processes (nitrification and denitrification) that occur in tropical soils. The availability of nitrogen (N) for metabolic processes by microorganisms may be an important factor controlling N2O in such soils. The goal of this study was […]

Several laboratory tests were carried out with the objective of evaluating the performance of a numerical model to simulate the unidimensional soil water evaporation process. This model was created based on Richard’s equation linearized in space and by an iterative Newton-Raphson method to solve this unlinearized equation in time. The model considers the vapor flow within the soil profile and its evaporation rate on the surface. Results showed that the model simulated the soil water evaporation process satisfactorily for both […]

Tuffite-derived magnetic soils in the Alto Paranaíba region, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, have a variable mineralogy and are assumed to contain iron oxides that are isoestructural to spinel, more specifically, (Mg,Ti)-rich magnetite and maghemite. In this study, magnetic portions (saturation magnetization, 34.4 < s/J T-1 kg-1 < 43.7) were separated from sand fractions of pedomaterials of a Brunizem (Chernosol) (samples labeled AP31CR; AP31B and AP31A) and of a leptic Chernosol (AP33CR e AP33A) developed from tuffite were collected near the city of Patos de Minas, […]

No tillage (NT) is a proven and efficient soil management practice used to reduce soil erosion, minimizing soil losses. However, the absence of soil movement associated with traffic of heavy machinery cause changes in the soil structure, which combined with low surface roughness, can affect water dynamics by reducing the water infiltration rate. Our aim was to evaluate changes in soil properties under NT and chiseling in no tillage (CNT), as well as the effect of distinct planter furrow openers […]

The sorption of herbicides to soil is a process determinant of its dynamics in the environment. For weakly polar compounds such as acetochlor, organic matter represents the main sorbent in soil. The goal of this study was to evaluate the sorption of acetochlor on soil samples, humic acids and humin from an “Argissolo Vermelho distrófico” (PVd-Paleudult) under no-till and conventional tillage systems. Sorption isotherms were carried out at room temperature and the herbicide concentration was determined by high performance liquid […]