The soil is one of the main C pools in terrestrial ecosystem, capable of storing significant C amounts. Therefore, understanding the factors that contribute to the loss of CO2 from agricultural soils is critical to determine strategies reducing emissions of this gas and help mitigate the greenhouse effect. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of soil tillage and sugarcane trash on CO2 emissions, temperature and soil moisture during sugarcane (re)planting, over a study period of 15 […]

Currently, sugarcane plays an important global role, particularly with a view to alternative energy sources. Thus, in a sugarcane field of the mill Vale do Paraná S/A Álcool e Açúcar, Rubineia, São Paulo State, managed under two green cane harvest systems (cane trash left on and cane trash removed from the soil), Pearson and spatial correlations between the sugarcane yield (variety RB855035 in the third cut) and soil physical and chemical properties were studied to identify the property best correlated […]

The retention and availability of water in the soil vary according to the soil characteristics and determine plant growth. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate water retention and availability in the soils of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, according to the textural class, soil class and lithology. The surface and subsurface horizons of 44 profiles were sampled in different regions of the State and different cover crops to determine field capacity, permanent wilting point, available water […]

Synthetic aluminum-substituted maghemites were characterized by total chemical analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy (ME), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The aim was to determine the structural, magnetic, and hyperfine properties of γ-Fe2-xAlxO3 as the Al concentration is varied. The XRD results of the synthetic products were indexed exclusively as maghemite. Increasing Al for Fe substitution decreased the mean crystalline dimension and shifted all diffraction peaks to higher o2θ angles. The a0 dimension of the cubic unit cell decreased […]

Since different pedologists will draw different soil maps of a same area, it is important to compare the differences between mapping by specialists and mapping techniques, as for example currently intensively discussed Digital Soil Mapping. Four detailed soil maps (scale 1:10.000) of a 182-ha sugarcane farm in the county of Rafard, São Paulo State, Brazil, were compared. The area has a large variation of soil formation factors. The maps were drawn independently by four soil scientists and compared with a […]

Forest recovery, especially of riparian forests, has become a key factor in the environmental planning of agriculture, to protect water resources and the biota. However, traditional agricultural crops have not only affected nutrient cycling by the loss of organic matter and of microbial biomass and activity, but also increased soil compaction, which can later affect reforestation. The aim of this study was to identify the soil (physical, chemical and microbiological) properties that most influence the litter moisture contents of C, […]

Soil functions can be hampered by compaction induced by inadequate management. Some soil physical properties are indicators of the existence of compacted layers that can affect the root development of crops. Agricultural practices, e.g., planting of cover crops to improve soil properties, can mitigate the compaction-related problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical attributes of soil and plants, grown under controlled conditions. In an Ultisol under no-tillage with two winter cover crops (fallow and oat + […]

The use and management of Quartzipsamments can influence soil organic matter (SOM), but the magnitude of these variations for the specific conditions in the Cerrado (savanna-like vegetation) is still poorly studied. The aim of this work was to study the variations in SOM in a Quartzipsamment, after the conversion of native vegetation to cropland (soybean-millet rotation). Soil was sampled from 0-5, 0-10, 0-20 and 0-40 cm depths of a commercial field in Alto Garças, Mato Grosso, Brazil, of plots under […]

Sugarcane is considered a Si-accumulating plant, but in Brazil, where several soil types are used for cultivation, there is little information about silicon (Si) fertilization. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the silicon availability, uptake and recovery index of Si from the applied silicate on tropical soils with and without silicate fertilization, in three crops. The experiments in pots (100 L) were performed with specific Si rates (0, 185, 370 and 555 kg ha-1 Si), three soils (Quartzipsamment-Q, […]

Tillage systems are a key element of the technology of crop production, both with a view to crop yield and from the perspective of soil conservation and sustainability of the production system. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effects of five tillage systems on the physical properties of a cohesive Yellow Argisol. The experiment was installed in the field on January 21, 2011 and lasted 260 days, in an area previously used as pasture with Brachiaria grass […]