Young guava plants were grown in a nutrient solution in the presence of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg L-1 aluminum, with pH being kept at 4.0. After 110 days, the plants were harvested and their content of macronutrients, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and Al were determined. Visual toxicity symptoms, developed under 20 and 25 mg L-1 aluminum, were as follows: reduction in height, absence of branching, decrease in diameter of stem dark roots and smaller leaves presenting […]

A soil sampler was designed and constructed to extract and evaluate undisturbed 75 mm diameter core samples at a depth of up to 0.60 m. Soil sample quality was evaluated and compared using traditional methods. The sampler consisted of a removable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) standard sewage pipe to receive the soil, an aluminium encasing sleeve and a steel conic cutting, surrounded by an auger with three cutting chisels. The soil sampler was adapted to a specially-designed off-road vehicle (VAS). The […]

Root growth impairment has sometimes been attributed to zinc deficiency. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in Botucatu, SP, Brazil, in 1997/98, using 2.5 L pots. Zinc redistribution within the plant and the effect of zinc deficiency on root growth were studied in corn (Zea mays) plants grown in nutrient solution containing from 0.0 to 2.0 µmol L-1 of Zn. Half of the pots also received foliar application of Zn. The experiment was terminated 40 days after plant emergence. Dry matter […]

The effects of different weed control methods in coffee (Coffea arabica L.) on some soil physical quality indicators were studied. The essay was installed in 1977 at the EPAMIG Experimental station in São Sebastião do Paraíso (MG), Brazil, in a coffee plantation on a Dusky Red Latosol. Coffee cultivar ‘Catuaí Vermelho’ LCH 2077-2-5-99 was planted at 4x1m spacing. Mower (RÇ), coffee tandem disk harrow (GR), rotary tiller (RT), post (HC) and pre-emergency herbicides (HR) and hand hoe (CM), were used […]

The hydric characterization of the soils of the Campus of the Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil has certified that the Red Latosol presented the largest available soil water capacity and that the amount of water held at field capacity (0.01 MPa) and permanent wilting point (1.5 MPa) was better correlated to the clay and silt contents, as compared to the organic matter content and soil bulk density. Using the hydric characteristics of the soils, their […]

This research was conducted to investigate the principal structural units from humic acids obtained from urban waste compost (AH-CRSU) and sewage sludge (AH-LETE) by pyrolysis – gas chromatography / mass spectrometry. The humic acids from sewage sludge presented most mono and diaryl esters with higher mass. The n-alcans in AH-LETE showed a shorter chain than AH-CRSU. Phthalate fragments were incorporated into the humic acid structures, probably due to an organic matter contamination by plastics. The aromatic compounds in the AH-LETE […]

Soils with brown or yellowish brown hues are dominant in the high altitude areas of southern Brazil. This feature is a consequence of the cool weather and high humidity conditions, which contribute for the formation of goethite and complete soil xantization. However, in some sites, soils present brown and yellowish brown hues in surface and transitional horizons, yet preserving red colors in subsurface horizons what may represent a relic of a drier and hotter climate condition from the past. In […]

An experiment was carried out under green house conditions to evaluate the effects of the inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), associated with the addition of formononetin (5, 10 µ mol L1), quercetin and morin (5, 10 and 15 µ mol L1), on the growth and nutrient content of passion fruit plants in the phase of seedlings cultivated in sterile substrate and after transplanting to a non-sterile substrate. The fungi utilized were Glomus clarum (Gc), Glomus fasciculatum (Gf) and a […]

In the region of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil, soils profiles with argillic horizons were selected to evaluate the alterations which occurred during the process of soil formation and to investigate pedogenetic characteristics related to the parent material. Within this region, these soils occur on sloping and hilly landscapes. They were selected for this study because they preserve characteristics inherited from the original bedrocks. Three profiles formed from geologic material with different chemical composition were selected: Profile 1 – Red-Yellow Argisol […]

Some of the leguminous tree associated to fixing bacteria and micorrizal fungi have good development in degraded soils. Aiming to evaluate the influence of these species on soil fertility level, dry matter production and the nutrient contents of litter originated from these plants were measured during 1995. The rate of litter decomposition was evaluated by analysing the material collected in 1995 and 1996. Homogeneous stands of Caesalpiniifolia mimosa (‘Sabiá’), Acacia mangium and Acacia holosericea established at the experimental station of […]