Volume 34, Number 1, 2010

Soil properties are closely related with crop production and spite of the measures implemented, spatial variation has been repeatedly observed and described. Identifying and describing spatial variations of soil properties and their effects on crop yield can be a powerful decision-making tool in specific land management systems. The objective of this research was to characterize the spatial and temporal variations in crop yield and chemical and physical properties of a Rhodic Hapludox soil under no-tillage. The studied area of 3.42 […]

The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variability of chemical attributes of an Oxisol. The experiment was conducted with Coffea arabica L., variety Catuai, at a depth of 0-0.2 m in a grid area totaling 50 points. The studied chemical attributes were: P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, Al, pH, H + Al, SB, t, T, V, m, MO, ISNa, equilibrium P and micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, and B). The data were analyzed by descriptive statistical […]

Burning pastures after the winter is a traditional practice in highland soils, whose main purpose is the regrowth of vegetation. However, the impact of fire, as well as the influence of grazing on the organic matter of Leptosols is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the composition and content of organic matter in soil profiles from São José dos Ausentes, state of Rio Grande do Sul, and to relate the results with the occurrence of burning […]

No tillage systems significantly influence the soil system, but knowledge about the effects on the mineralogy of tropical and subtropical soils is limited. This study evaluated the long-term effects (26 years) of no-tillage (NT) on aluminum hydroxy-interlayered minerals of a subtropical Oxisol in Southern Brazil (Guarapuava, PR), compared to the same soil under conventional tillage (CT). The clay fraction (< 2 µm) in soil samples of the surface horizons of a field experiment under both management systems was analyzed by […]

Agrosilvipastoral systems represent agro-forestry practices that allow greater diversity and sustainability of a cropping system. Soil organic matter (SOM) is one of the main indicators of the sustainability of a cropping system, especially in tropical soils. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of eucalypt cultivation on different C and N of SOM fractions on agrosilvipastoral systems over time. To this end, a chronosequence consisting of six implantation times of an agrosilvipastoral system was sampled. Time zero […]

HCB (hexachlorobenzene) is an environmentally ubiquitous organochlorine compound and is classified as one of the persistent organic pollutants (POP). It is highly toxic and has been found in the region “Baixada Santista” of the state of São Paulo (Brazil) for a number of years. To evaluate the potential of the earthworm species Eisenia andrei as bioindicator of HCB-contamination, earthworm specimens were maintained for 14 days in soil containing 14C-HCB, and their bioaccumulation was analyzed. No mortality was detected after neither […]

In restinga soils with sand-quartzous constitution the influence of the organic fraction and biological activity on soil key functions is increased, e.g., the capacity of recycling and storing nutrients. The analysis of soil attributes and edaphic fauna at sites under different vegetation cover types is important to understand the behavior of these environments. In this study, chemical, physical and microbiological soil attributes of restinga sites and their relationships with ant populations under different vegetation types in the state of Sergipe […]

In integrated crop-livestock systems most of the nutrient supply for a pasture is provided by animal excretions, in the form of manure or urine, stimulating the activity and accumulation of nutrients in the cells. This study was carried out in an integrated crop-livestock system under no-tillage, initiated in 2001, with the objective of evaluating the impact of different winter grazing intensities (black oat + Italian ryegrass; 10, 20, and 40 cm, and a no-grazing control treatment) on microbial activity and […]

In no-tillage or in crop-livestock integration systems, it is common the cultivation of common bean in succession to grasses. Due to the root systems morphology, differential secretion of various organic compounds by the roots, and crop residue decomposition, grasses may affect the soil P availability and the acquisition and utilization of P sources, apparently with low agronomic efficiency, for crops in succession. This study was carried out to evaluate the use of P in common bean yield in succession to […]

Among the different methods of assessing the nutritional status of plants, DRIS and CND have the main purpose of ranking the limiting nutrients. This study aimed to develop DRIS and CND norms and compare the diagnoses of these methods in evaluations of cotton cash crops in the region of São Desidério, state of Bahia, Brazil. The database consisted of the total nutrient content of 65 whole leaf samples and seed cotton yield of plots with an average size of 120 […]