The pressure applied by animal hooves can lead to soil surface compaction in a crop-livestock system (CLIS), with effects on soil physical quality. The hypothesis of this study was that the trampling of animals as a result of grazing on oat and ryegrass crops in a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (Oxisol) under no-tillage in a CLIS degrades soil physical quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different grazing heights on soil bulk density (BD), total porosity […]

The graphical representation of spatial soil properties in a digital environment is complex because it requires a conversion of data collected in a discrete form onto a continuous surface. The objective of this study was to apply three-dimension techniques of interpolation and visualization on soil texture and fertility properties and establish relationships with pedogenetic factors and processes in a slope area. The GRASS Geographic Information System was used to generate three-dimensional models and ParaView software to visualize soil volumes. Samples […]

Brazil is the fourth largest consumer of fertilizers in the world. Among these, bulk blends fertilizers are the most consumed in the country. After updating of Brazilian legislation in regard to fertilizers in 2004, many producers claim that there was an excessive increase in the strictness of legislation concerning inspection of nutrient levels in those products. Within this context, the objective of this study was to provide an exploratory and descriptive statistical analysis to the data gathered by MAPA (Ministry […]

The Brazilian East coast was intensely affected by deforestation, which drastically cut back the original biome. The possible impacts of this process on water resources are still unknown. The purpose of this study was an evaluation of the impacts of deforestation on the main water balance components of the Galo creek watershed, in the State of Espírito Santo, on the East coast of Brazil. Considering the real conditions of the watershed, the SWAT model was calibrated with data from 1997 […]

Changes in land use and management can affect the dynamic equilibrium of soil systems and induce chemical and mineralogical alterations. This study was based on two long-term experiments (10 and 27 years) to evaluate soil used for no-tillage maize cultivation, with and without poultry litter application (NTPL and NTM), and with grazed native pasture fertilized with cattle droppings (GrP), on the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of a Rhodic Paleudult in Southern Brazil, in comparison with the same soil under native […]

The national and international demand for maps of soil properties has increased. The aim of this study was to characterize cohesive soils and associate their variability of particle size, chemical properties, and color to different landforms in agricultural areas and native vegetation using geostatistical techniques. To set up the experiment, we selected three areas of soil consisting of an area planted to soybeans and, contiguous to it, another area with plant cover remaining from three types of cerrado (tropical savanna), […]

The Pantanal (tropical wetland) biome is recognized as one of the largest continuous areas of natural wetlands, harboring a flora and fauna of rare beauty and abundance. Studies to assess the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are nonexistent for this environment. The goal of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of AMF in different vegetation types of the Pantanal of Nhecolândia, Brazil. Soil samples were collected during the dry and wet season in a Neossolo Quartzarênico (Entisol) in […]

The Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (FN), Brazil, has poorly developed soils of the Cambisol, Vertisol, and Leptosol classes (WRB-FAO), with particular characteristics related to parent material of volcanic origin, a tropical climate with oceanic influence, and rolling to strongly rolling relief. The Vertisols of FN are formed from basic rocks, volcanic tuffs, and alluvial sediments. They are associated with depressed surfaces that have impeded drainage from the central highlands and coastal plains. In view of the need for environmental […]

Based on the assumption that silicate application can raise soil P availability for crops, the aim of this research was to compare the effect of silicate application on soil P desorption with that of liming, in evaluations based on two extractors and plant growth. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks with four replications, in a 3 × 3 × 5 factorial design, in which three soil types, three P rates, and four soil acidity correctives were evaluated in […]

Improvements in working conditions, sustainable production, and competitiveness have led to substantial changes in sugarcane harvesting systems. Such changes have altered a number of soil properties, including iron oxides and organic matter, as well as some chemical properties, such as the maximum P adsorption capacity of the soil. The aim of this study was to characterize the relationship between iron oxides and the quality of organic matter in sugarcane harvesting systems. For that purpose, two 1 ha plots in mechanically […]