ABSTRACT Although the hydrological importance of water infiltration into the soil and surface runoff is well known, manual measurement of these processes, especially at the plot and hillslope scales, is laborious and requires a trained team. This study aimed to develop prototypes with the tipping bucket principle for the automatic monitoring of surface runoff at a plot scale (14.5 × 3 m). In total, 18 prototypes were built and installed in an experiment with different soil covers. Aspects of the […]

ABSTRACT Santa Catarina State, in the South region of Brazil, has 713 thousand hectares of pine forests. Harvesting operations of this species can degrade the soil, especially when carried out on very wet soil. However, there is little information on the impact of pine harvesting on the physical properties of the soil in this region. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Pinus taeda L. harvesting on the physical properties of a Nitossolo Bruno distrófico típico. Two areas were […]

ABSTRACT Organic fertilization with tobacco powder compost produced via solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a recent practice that needs to be evaluated through research. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two nitrogen sources – tobacco powder compost or mineral fertilizer (NPK) – and of compost doses on N use and loss in an immediate and residual way in a wheat/corn crop succession in a subtropical Argissolo. The wheat/corn crop succession was established after three successive fertilizer applications with different […]

ABSTRACT Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and steady-state infiltration rate (SSIR) are essential and necessary soil properties for different geoscience applications. Values of these hydraulic properties for the Brazilian territory are difficult to access and are dispersed in research efforts carried out around the country. This study developed an easy-to-manipulate, freely accessible database of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, comprising field and laboratory analyses, and steady-state infiltration rates for Brazilian soils. This database was named Ksat-SSIR-DB. One analysis of the Ksat-SSIR-DB […]

ABSTRACT In precision agriculture, accurate delineation of management zones and understanding spatial variability of soil properties and crop yields are critical for optimizing resource allocation and improving productivity. Spatial variability of different environmental factors (soil and plants) is evident in several studies. Associations between the texture and chemical properties of the soil and cowpea yield have been tested, but a large, unexplained variance of ranges between kriged maps is usually reported. This suggests that a deeper exploration into the soil […]

ABSTRACT Coconut palm cultivation is associated with the generation of a large amount of residues, mainly from coconut shells, and their utilization in agriculture can represent an opportunity in the context of circular economy and climate change. This study aimed to determine the effect of coconut shell deposition on carbon (C) stocks, organic matter quality, and soil water retention in coconut palm cultivation in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The study was conducted in a commercial coconut palm cultivation area in […]

ABSTRACT Providing nutrients in optimum quantities is essential for increasing the productivity of timber species. Despite this, we know little about the actual potassium (K) requirements of native Amazonian Forest species. This study aimed to determine the critical level of K deficiency and toxicity for the initial cultivation of cedar. We grew Cedrela fissilis seedlings in a nutrient solution under the effect of five concentrations of K (0, 1, 2, 5, and 8 mmol L-1) in a completely randomized design […]

ABSTRACT The combination of potassium (K) fertilization with the adoption of no-tillage (NT) increases the concentration gradient of K in the soil, requiring subsurface layers to diagnose fertility. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of K rates applied in band or broadcast on the soil K availability and soybean and wheat yield. The study was established in 2019 on a Latossolo (Ferralsol) in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, under NT since 2002. Summer soybeans and […]

ABSTRACT Soil fauna is an important indicator of soil quality. This study aimed to evaluate soil fauna collected using pitfall traps and soil chemical and microbiological properties under different land uses in the Cerrado. The systems evaluated were soybean under 14-year no-till; soybean under 3-year no-till; eucalyptus rows; soybean grown between eucalyptus rows, and native Cerrado. Collected individuals were identified as classes, subclasses, order, or family classes. We evaluated the number of individuals trap-1 day-1, total richness, average richness, Shannon […]

ABSTRACT Plant production in nurseries, both in the forestry and horticultural sectors, has a large demand for substrates, making the use of natural resources such as peat high. The composition of substrates must not only have the necessary characteristics for good plant development, such as porosity, density, and water retention, but also look for sustainable and economical production. Biochar is a material derived from the processing of various organic residues which, due to its physical and chemical characteristics, presents great […]