ABSTRACT Soil mesofauna consists of organisms that measure from 0.100 μm to 2 mm, being important to evaluate methods employed for its characterization. The objectives of this study were to define how long the soil material must remain in the Berlese-Tüllgren extraction device to capture organisms of the mesofauna and determine the minimum extraction time for correct use of the Shannon, Simpson, Pielou, and Margalef indices used to evaluate the diversity, dominance, and richness of the mesofauna communities. The study […]

ABSTRACT Perennial forage crops used in crop-livestock integration (CLI) are able to accumulate large amounts of straw on the soil surface in no-tillage system (NTS). In addition, they can potentially produce large amounts of soluble organic compounds that help improving the efficiency of liming in the subsurface, which favors root growth, thus reducing the risks of loss in yield during dry spells and the harmful effects of “overliming”. The aim of this study was to test the effects of liming […]

ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a highly mycotrophic crop, and prior soil cover may affect the density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs), as well as the composition of the AMFs community in the soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and the structure of AMFs communities in cassava grown after different cover crops, and the effect of the cover crop on mineral nutrition and cassava yield under an organic farming system. The occurrence and structure […]

ABSTRACT Conversion of a natural condition to agricultural use can impose changes in soil properties and processes and bring environmental consequences to the region this agricultural use encompasses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical quality of the soil in agricultural areas of municipalities around Sobradinho Lake, a semiarid region in the State of Bahia, using multivariate analysis statistical techniques as a tool. Initially, descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis techniques and the normality test were applied, […]

ABSTRACT The large production of sewage sludge (SS), especially in large urban centers, has led to the suggestion of using this waste as fertilizer in agriculture. The economic viability of this action is great and contributes to improve the environment by cycling the nutrients present in this waste, including high contents of organic matter and plant nutrients. This study evaluated the chemical and biochemical properties of Dystrophic and Eutroferric Latossolos Vermelhos (Oxisols) under corn and after SS application at different […]

ABSTRACT Accumulation of nutrients and surface compaction have been reported after a long time under a no-tillage system. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil chemical properties, bulk density, and crop yield following a single mechanical intervention associated with liming in a clayey Oxisol under a NT system for 17 consecutive years in Pato Branco, southwestern Paraná, Brazil. A randomized block experimental design was used in a split-plot arrangement, with plowing and harrowing of the soil in the […]

ABSTRACT Quantitative assessment of soil physical quality is of great importance for eco-environmental pollution and soil quality studies. In this paper, based on the S-theory, data from 16 collection sites in the Haihe River Basin in northern China were used, and the effects of soil particle size distribution and bulk density on three important indices of the S-theory were investigated on a regional scale. The relationships between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity Ki at the inflection point and S values (S/hi) were […]

ABSTRACT Soil tillage that maintains the productivity of sugarcane plantations, providing an area for the root development and without traffic on crop rows, has given rise to new technologies in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the soil physical properties in two sugarcane plantations, one of which was prepared with deep tilling and the other with conventional tillage. The experiment was conducted in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo State. Soil penetration resistance and relative density were analyzed. […]

ABSTRACT Knowledge of the terms (or processes) of the soil water balance equation or simply the components of the soil water balance over the cycle of an agricultural crop is essential for soil and water management. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze these components in a Cambissolo Háplico (Haplocambids) growing muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) under drip irrigation, with covered and uncovered soil, in the municipality of Baraúna, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil (05º 04’ 48” […]

ABSTRACT Livestock urine and dung are important components of the N cycle in pastures, but little information on its effect on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions is available. We conducted a short-term (39-day) trial to quantify the direct N2O-N emissions from sheep excreta on an experimental area of ryegrass pasture growing on a Typic Paleudult in southern Brazil. Four rates of urine-N (161, 242, 323, and 403 kg ha-1 N) and one of dung-N (13 kg ha-1 N) were applied, […]