Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis can play a crucial role in protecting plant roots from heavy metals. However, a high heavy metal contamination can inhibit ectomycorrhizal fungi growth and activity, negatively influencing mycorhizal symbiosis. The growth of nine isolates of Pisolithus tinctorius, two of Suillus bovinus and one of Scleroderma sp. was assessed to evaluate the effect of Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb contaminated soil-sand mixes added to the liquid culture media, at different proportions. Addition of contaminated soil to the media reduced […]

Amelioration of degraded soils is time-consuming and expensive. Green manure and cover crops have been widely used in this remediation process since these plants produce a large amount of phytomass at a low cost, especially if they are tolerant to soil acidity. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of liming on dry matter yield of the following 16 species, under greenhouse conditions: eight winter crops (Lollium multiflorum, Avena strigosa, Lathyrus sativus, Lupinus angustifolius, Pisum sativum, Secale cereale, […]

Six soil profiles were selected in a drained lowland área at Coruripe sugarmill aiming to study chemical properties of acid sulfate soils occurring in the fluvial plain of the Coruripe river valley, Alagoas State, Brazil. The soils were morphologically characterized and samples were taken from each horizon to determine chemical properties of soil and saturation extract, using dry and wet samples (field conditions). A greenhouse liming experiment was carried out with compound samples collected at the sites of two selected […]

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are able to tolerate toxic heavy-metal concentrations in host plants, although being also negatively affected by excessive metal. Isolates of Pisolithus tinctorius and Scleroderma bovinus were grown for 20 days at 28°C in a liquid medium with increasing levels of Zn, Cu and Cd sulfates in 125 mL conical flasks containing 50 mL of MMN medium, adjusted to pH 4.8. Fungi growth was inhibited by heavy metal increasing concentration, which was different for fungi and metals. The 50% […]

An experiment was carried out at the Soil Science Department of Universidade Federal de Lavras, in Lavras (MG). in November 1998, to study the effect of aluminum on the initial growth of two forest species, under greenhouse conditions using a nutrient solution. After two weeks in dilute nutrient solution to 1/3 and without aluminum, two Moringa (Moringa oleifera) and two Angico (Anandenantha peregrina) plants were transplanted to 1.5 L pots, and grown in nutrient solution. The aluminum levels were 0.0, […]

Six soil profiles were selected in a drained lowland area at Coruripe Sugarmill, aiming to characterize acid sulfate soils occurring in the lowplain of the Coruripe River Valley, in the coastal humid zone of the state of Alagoas. The soils were morphologically characterized, and samples were taken from each horizon to determine particle size distribution, bulk and particle density, total porosity, pH (H2O and KCl), organic matter, exchangeable bases and CEC, soluble sulfate and electrical conductivity of the saturation extract. […]

Grapevine nutrition is a fundamental factor for quality production. Often, for physiological mainly nutritional reasons, problems of reduced bud break occur, reflecting in grapevine productivity. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the foliar formulation of macro and micronutrients, activated with polihexose in grapevine production, during two years, in a vineyard of the cv. Merlot grafted in the rootstock R110, formed in lira system, located in Monte Belo do Sul (RS), Brazil. Eleven treatments were used, consisting […]

Soil microbial biomass plays an important role in nutrient cycling in soils. Among the several methods that have been used to estimate the soil microbial biomass-C (SMBC), chloroform fumigation incubation (CFI) and chloroform fumigation extraction (CFE) are the most studied. Although several studies in the literature have compared the efficiency of these two methods to estimate SMBC, there is little information for the acid soils of the Cerrado region. The present study compared the efficiency of these two methods in […]

Phosphorus has very low mobility into the soil, but in spite of this, it has been applied on the soil surface on some soil tillage systems. The efficiency of this form of application is not well known yet but can be affected by the soil pH and type of phosphate applied. This study aimed to assess the effect of the application method (mixed into the soil or on the surface, without incorporation) of phosphate fertilizers (diammonium phosphate, triple superphosphate, and […]

The influence of parent materials, Pre-Cambrian rocks, and colluvial and alluvial sediments derived from them, as well as their topographical position in the soil genesis were studied in a toposequence representative of the Baixada Litorânea Fluminense landscape, at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Six soil profiles, located on the shoulder position (P1 and P2), backslope (P3), footslope (P4 and P5), and foot slope position (P6) were analyzed. The pedogenic processes and soil properties were related to […]