All anthropic action causes changes in the environment. The objective of this study was the evaluation of alterations on the physical properties of a typical Brazilian Oxisol, caused by agricultural soil management. Undisturbed soil samples were collected along a 1m top layer of the soil profile in three use and management systems: natural forestry, non-irrigated and irrigated. These samples were used to determine the soil water retention curves and then the soil pore size distribution. After flooding, the aeration porosity […]

In the State of Rondônia, Brazil, soil characteristics of forest and converted pasture areas were compared (four age classes). Adjacent areas of undisturbed natural forest were also surveyed for comparison. Based on the analysis of TM/LANDSAT images obtained between 1987 and 1997, three sites were selected for soil sampling. Two of these sites belong to the class “Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo” (PVA – Ultisol), and the other to the “Luvissolo Crômico” (TC – Alfisol). The soil samples were collected at a depth […]

This study was carried out in order to evaluate yields of wheat, lettuce and radish, as well as chemical changes in an Oxisoil due to the addition of tannery waste and hexavalent chromium. Microplots in a greenhouse, which consisted of 60 L plastic pots, received the following treatments: control; lime + NPK; primary tannery sludge + PK; chrome-tanned leather shavings + lime + NPK; finished leather shreds + lime + NPK; Cr6+ + lime + NPK; Cr6+ + lime + […]

Soil tillage affects soil acidification and nutrient cycling and possibly causes effects on crop development and yields. In this study, the long-term (21 yr) effect of the no-tillage system (NT) on soil chemical characteristics (solid phase and solution) was evaluated in a south Brazilian Oxisol (Guarapuava, Paraná State), focussing on acidity components. NT caused an acidification process in the top soil layer, demonstrated by lower pH values (2-10 cm) and higher concentration and saturation values of Al (6-20 cm), in […]

The soil bulk density of undisturbed samples was evaluated using computed tomography and paraffin-sealed soil clod techniques, with the objective of identifying soil compaction processes and to compare the applied methodologies. Data were also used to complement a soil classification survey for irrigation purposes. Samples were collected from soil profiles of the semi-arid region of Petrolina (PE), Brazil, from the soil surface down to a depth of 1 m, in 10 cm layers. Two distinct areas were chosen: (1) native […]

Traffic of heavy machinery during forest harvesting causes soil compaction and alters the nutrient availability for plants, affects root growth, and the mass flow and diffusion processes, thus representing a problem for forest management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil compaction and potassium application on growth and K nutrition of Eucalyptus camaldulensis. The study was carried out in pots under greenhouse conditions, using a completely randomized design with treatments in a 3 x 4 […]

The effects of superficial lime application on chemical soil characteristics in no-tillage systems and its influence on root growth and mineral nutrition in maize crops has not been thoroughly investigated yet. To evaluate these effects on maize (hybrid AG 9090) and its reflexes on the grain yield performance under no-tillage, a field trial was carried out on a dystrophic Red Latosol (Hapludox) in Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná, Brazil. A completely randomized block design with three replications was used in […]

Microbial biomass and phosphatase activity are essential for phosphorus dynamics in the soil and its supply for plants. This research determines the effects of phosphate application on phosphorus accumulation in microbial biomass and on acid phosphatase activity in soil under no-till system. In January 2000, samples of the 0-10 cm soil layer were collected from the treatments of accumulated application rates (0, 130, 180, 260, 360, 540, 720, 980 and 1,240 kg ha-1 of P2O5) during the six experimental years […]

Due to the dynamic nature of soil microorganisms, the study of microbial biomass quantity and activity can furnish important information for the planning of adequate land use. The objective of this work was to verify alterations in biological attributes of soil quality indicators after the adoption of management systems in originally native cerrado areas, and to select the attributes with the best performance of indicating such alterations. Soil samples were collected at three depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm) in […]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inoculation effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of Brazilian pine plants (Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Ktze.) at different P levels. The experimental design was completely randomized with a factorial outlay of four inoculation and four P level treatments in five replications. The Araucaria plants, grown in greenhouse conditions, were inoculated either with Gigaspora rosea, with Glomus intraradices, or with a mixture of AMF, collected in a native Araucaria forest in Campos […]