ABSTRACT Different parent materials participate in the formation of soils in the hilly landscape of “Mar de Morros” in the Atlantic Forest environment. Those derived from mafic igneous rock (gabbro) frequently show erosion problems because of land use, which is aggravated by the mountainous relief and soil attributes. This study evaluated the main pedogenic processes of soils formed from mafic igneous rock (gabbro) in a toposequence in Pinheiral (RJ) by characterizing physical, chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological attributes. The profiles are […]

ABSTRACT Cover crops contribute to nutrient cycling and may improve soil chemical properties and, consequently, increase crop yield. The aim of this study was to evaluate cover crop residue decomposition and nutrient release, and the effects of these plants on soil chemical properties and on onion (Allium cepa L.) yield in a no-tillage system. The experiment was carried out in an Inceptisol in southern Brazil, where cover crops were sown in April 2012 and 2013. In July 2013, shoots of […]

ABSTRACT Modern high-yielding rice cultivars possibly take up and remove greater quantities of macronutrients than traditional and intermediate cultivars. This study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the extraction and removal of macronutrients by upland rice cultivars. These information are of utmost importance for the correct fertilizer management. The treatments consisted of three upland rice cultivars (Caiapó, a traditional type; BRS Primavera, an intermediate type; and Maravilha, a modern type). Macronutrient accumulation by rice cultivars up to the […]

ABSTRACT Upland rice cultivars manifest different nutritional demands. A field study was conducted to quantify the extraction, distribution, and removal of micronutrients and silicon by the upland rice cultivars. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block-split plot design. Plots consisted of three cultivars (Caiapó – traditional, BRS Primavera – intermediate, and Maravilha – modern) of upland rice. Split-plots consisted of plant samplings, which occurred at 39, 46, 55, 67, 75, 83, 92, 102, 111, 118, and 125 days […]

ABSTRACT Biosolids have been produced by various stabilization processes of sewage sludge, but little attention has been given to the effects of such treatments on their effectiveness to supply nitrogen for plant growth. Here, we investigated these effects by cultivating Lolium perenne (ryegrass) in two Australian soils, a sandy Spodosol and a clayey Oxisol. Biosolids stabilized by either aerobic digestion, composting, CaO-liming, 250 oC heat-drying or solar irradiation of domestic sewage sludge were applied to soils at 10 increasing rates […]

ABSTRACT The sugarcane green harvest system, characterized by mechanized harvesting and the absence of crop burning, affects soil quality by increasing crop residue on the soil surface after harvest; thus, it contributes to improving the physical, chemical, and microbiological properties and influences the soil carbon content and CO2 flux (FCO2). This study aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of soil FCO2 in sugarcane green harvest systems. The experiment was conducted in two areas of sugarcane in São Paulo, […]

ABSTRACT Rheological parameters have been used to study the interaction between particles and the structural strength of soils subjected to mechanical stresses, in which soil composition and water content most strongly affect soil resistance to deformation. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of water tension on rheological parameters of soils with different mineralogical, physical, and chemical composition. Surface and subsurface horizons of four Oxisols, two Ultisols, one Alfisol, and one Vertisol were physically and chemically characterized; their rheological parameters […]

ABSTRACT Traffic of heavy machinery at harvest and log extraction causes structural degradation of the soil, but studies on the effects of forest harvesting on soils with high organic matter content and exchangeable Al are scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mechanized forest harvesting operations on a Dystric Cambisol (Humic) with high organic matter (more 50 g kg1) content and exchangeable Al (more 6,0 cmolc kg-1), reforested with Pinus taeda L. The evaluated harvesting […]

ABSTRACT Soil organic matter (SOM) fractions result from a variety of environmental processes, which affect incorporation and production rates, decomposition, alteration, and/or mineralization of organic matter. The aim of this study was to characterize SOM under the environments of rain forest, wooded campinarana (grasslands), arboreal-shrubby campinarana, grassy-woody campinarana, and pioneer plants of the Viruá National Park, in the north of the Brazilian Amazon. After chemical and physical characterization and soil classification, total organic carbon (TOC), total N, microbial activity, organic […]

ABSTRACT Soil irrigation using treated wastewater in the Brazilian semiarid region is a promising practice as this area currently faces water scarcity and pollution of water resources by domestic sewage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of treated wastewater in drip irrigation and its effect on the chemistry of soil cultivated with squash (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) Coroa IAC and to verify whether there was an increase in soil salinity under a semiarid climate. The experiment was […]