Acid phosphatase activity was evaluated in leaf extracts of four year old peach palms (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) in January, 1995. Plants from four progenies were field-grown under the combination of two levels of phosphorus (P1 = 0 and P2 = 200 kg ha-1 year-1 of P2O5) and two levels of nitrogen (N1 = 0 and N2 = 400 kg ha-1 year-1 of N). Potassium was applied at a rate of 200 kg ha-1 year-1 of K2O. The results of acid […]

Responses to phosphate fertilizing by vernalized garlic (Allium sativum, variety Roxo Perola de Caçador) were studied. To determine the calibration curve for phosphorus extracted with ion exchange resin, five soils of different textural groups, with and without organic fertilizer, were utilized. Two experiments, placed in 16 L pots, were carried out under greenhouse conditions, in the county of Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil, from May to October, 1995 and 1996. Each of these experiments consisted of five soils at […]

An experiment was carried out in January of 1994, in the greenhouse of the Crop Science Department of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, located in the Zona da Mata, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil (651 meter mean altitude) to evaluate the effect of aluminum on growth and development of nine coffee genotypes. Coffee plants with two pairs of fully expanded leaves were submitted to 0 and 0.296 mmol L-1 of aluminum in nutrient solution with pH 4.0 for 115 days. […]

This study was carried out using soil samples collected from a Podzol grown with orange trees, at Estação Experimental de Umbaúba, Umbaúba-SE (CPATC-EMBRAPA), to evaluate the acid and alkaline phosphatases activities from a coastal tableland soil submitted to different base saturation values (32, 45, 68 and 76.6%) and the relationships between soil characteristics and these activities. Positive responses to the increment of base saturation were observed for pH, organic matter content, available phosphorus and acid and alkaline phosphatases activities, in […]

The rates and the application time of nitrogen (N) may influence the agronomic characteristics of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and, consequently, grain yield. Two experiments were conducted at the Experimental Station of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, located in Coimbra-MG, Brazil, during the years 1995 and 1996. The treatments consisted of a combination of four rates of N (30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1), four rates of parceling (total rate at 20 days after emergence (DAE); ½ at […]

The effects of continuous sugarcane cropping on the properties of a clayey Yellow Latosol were studied in the region of the Low Coastal Tablelands of Alagoas State, Brazil. Four sites were selected at Caeté mill, São Miguel dos Campos, AL, involving a native forest (Tn) and sugarcane fields cultivated for periods of two (T2), eighteen (T18) and twenty-five (T25) years. The soils were morphologically characterized and undisturbed samples of the A, AB, and BA horizons of each profile were collected […]

The best measures of crop residue quality for soil protection against erosion are the percentage of soil cover and its persistence on the soil surface. These two variables, in turn, may be strongly affected by soil tillage. This study was carried out in Rio Grande do Sul State, Southern Brazil (30°06’S; 51°39’W). Crop residue mulch persistence was evaluated over a fallow period, following the harvest of a soybean crop. Three conservation tillage methods (chiseling, disking, and no-till) were used as […]

Aggregate size and the state of soil aggregation may be influenced by different soil management and cultural practices which lead to changes in soil organic matter content and biological activity. The objective of this study was to verify the relationship between organic carbon and the size and stability of soil aggregates in two planting systems (conventional and direct), three crop rotations (corn/wheat/corn, soybean/wheat/corn and soybean/wheat/soybean), under two soil sample preparation processes: use of 4 and 8 mm sieves before the […]

The implications of soil water availability on the growth of Hamlin variety orange trees were studied in a tableland topsequence in Bahia State. The topsequence consisted of a Podzolic Yellow Latosol, a Yellow Podzolic, and a Gray Podzolic. Soil samples were analyzed for texture and selected soil chemical characteristics. Rainfall data were also collected during the period of the study. Soil water content was measured weekly using a neutron probe to estimate water storage and water availability. Average values of […]

Salt-affected soils are characteristics of arid and semi-arid zones of the world. This study was undertaken at Açu valley region of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, by means of a field experiment conducted from April/90 to January/91. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of subsoiling and amendment additions (gypsum, farmyard manure and Copernica cerifera straw), on chemical properties of saline sodic soil. Subsoiling treatment provided beneficial effects decreasing soil exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and pH […]