ABSTRACT Soil structure plays an important role in water retention, infiltration capacity, porosity, and penetration resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and physical properties of Oxisol soils (bulk density and macro-, micro-, and total porosity) in the structures identified using the profil cultural method in areas under two different management practices (perennial pasture and sugarcane). Three pits were dug in each plot to find out how homogeneous morphological structural units (HMSU) were organized […]

ABSTRACT Many Amazonian farmers use the slash-and-burn method rather than fertilization for crop production. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in the morphological, physical, and chemical properties of naturally fertile Inceptisols after conversion from native forest to different uses in southern Amazonia, Brazil. Land covered by dense native forest (NF) was split into four areas of 1.0 ha each. Three areas were slashed and burned and then cultivated for 11 years with coffee (CO), secondary forest […]

ABSTRACT The source material is one of the factors that most influence soil genesis and the mainly responsible for the nature, composition, and behavior of the soil. Given the geological complexity of the Santa Maria River basin, the objective of this study was to investigate whether the new lithologies described recently may be responsible for a greater variation in soil properties, as well as in the soil taxonomy itself. The study area is located in the municipality of Rosário do […]

ABSTRACT In irrigated soils, a continuous state of high moisture reduces resistance of the soil to applied external forces, favouring compaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility to compaction of developed calcareous soils in irrigated annual and perennial cropping systems of the Apodi Plateau, located in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Four areas of irrigated crops were evaluated: banana after two (B2) and 15 (B15) years cultivation, pasture (P), and a corn and beans succession (MB), as […]

ABSTRACT Soils with humic and histic horizons in tropical and subtropical ecosystems play an important role in determining the atmospheric C stock and its stabilization, climate regulation, water holding capacity, and environmental filtering, due to the different functions of soil organic matter (SOM). However, the processes and mechanisms that regulate SOM dynamics in these soils are not clear. The objectives of this study were: i) determine the C and N stocks and ii) investigate the SOM chemical fractions and their […]

ABSTRACT Soil is currently seen as the most relevant carbon sink and the most effective carbon stabilizer. In contrast, agriculture is the second largest C emitter, after burning of fossil fuels. This organic carbon (OC) introduced into the soil, mainly via organic matter (OM), is essential for several soil properties and plays an extremely important role in sandy soils. The objective of this study was to describe the changes in the amounts and pools of OC and the influence thereof […]

ABSTRACT Improvement of soil chemical properties in dystrophic Oxisols managed under long-term no-tillage system (NTS) with surface broadcast lime has been, frequently, restricted to a shallow topsoil layer. As a consequence, a sharply-defined chemical quality gradient is created, with deterioration from the surface towards deeper layers in Oxisols in southern Brazil. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal effects of gypsum, applied alone or in combination with lime, on Ca2+ content and Al3+ saturation in the rooting […]

ABSTRACT Currently, agricultural productivity and sustainable development are the desired bases for the creation of production systems. Farming for greater production and the efficient use of soil resources are at the core of modern systems. However, the way in which agricultural management and practices can change soil quality has become increasingly important. The aim of this study was to detect changes in soil biological properties caused by implementation of the integrated crop-livestock-forest system (iCLF) and to identify the properties suitable […]

ABSTRACT Studies in the past decades have focused on how tuber yield of potato grown on different types of soil is affected by phosphate fertilizer rates. However, little is known about the effects of phosphorus availability in the soil and of phosphate fertilization on nutrient uptake and removal by the main potato cultivars currently grown in Brazil. Thus, in this study we investigated the influence of P fertilization rates on dry matter (DM) yield and nutrient uptake and removal in […]

ABSTRACT Water erosion is the main cause of soil degradation and is influenced by rainfall, soil, topography, land use, soil cover and management, and conservation practices. The objective of this study was to quantify water erosion in a Humic Dystrudept in two experiments. In experiment I, treatments consisted of different rates of fertilizer applied to the soil surface under no-tillage conditions. In experiment II, treatments consisted of a no-tillage in natural rangeland, burned natural rangeland and natural rangeland. Forage turnip, […]