Volume 30, Number 4, 2006

The susceptibility of soils to compaction, measured by the Proctor test, decreases with increasing soil organic matter (SOM) content. For a given energy level, with increasing SOM contents the maximum obtained density decreases and the corresponding critical moisture content increases. Due to its low density, elasticity and deformation susceptibility, straw is potentially able to dissipate applied loads. This study was conducted to evaluate the SOM effect on the soil compaction curve and to evaluate the ability that mulch has to […]

This experiment aimed at the evaluation of imazaquin sorption and transport in soils with different chemical, physical and mineralogical characteristics using batch and miscible-displacement techniques. The experiment was carried out with Neossolo Quartzarênico (RQ), Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo (LVA) and Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (LVdf) soils which were air-dried, passed through a 2 mm sieve and followed by chemical, physical and mineralogical characterization. A CaCl2 solution was applied in the miscible displacement experiment for the establishment of a Cl– elution curve that was used […]

Soil management systems affect the P dynamics in content and forms. The aim of this work was to measure the effect of several cultivations systems in the long term (16 years) on the different soil P forms. The treatments consisted of combinations of the two cultivation systems: sole corn (C) and corn-bean intercrop (CB), with two levels (0 and 1) of organic fertilizer (OF), at rates of 0 and 40 m3 ha-1 year-1 and three levels (0, 1, 2) of mineral fertilizer (MF) […]

Intensive land use can change the chemical composition of the soil solution and cause solute losses. Thus, it can alter the chemical composition of water courses. A study was carried out in a farm of EPAMIG in Oratorios, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from June 1996 to May 1997, to evaluate the effect of soil management on the chemical composition of soil solution, taking climatic conditions into consideration. Soluble organic carbon was also determined in the soil solution and in […]

Vermicomposts present a high content of humic substances and their effects on soil properties are well-documented. However, direct effects of humic substances on plant metabolism are less known. The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of humates isolated from cattle manure vermicompost with 0.1 mol L-1 KOH on root growth and ATP metabolism of lettuce seedlings. After germination, lettuce seedlings were treated with different humate concentrations (0 to 100 mg L-1 of C) for 15 days. The root growth and the H+-ATPase […]

Cattle manure availability is one of the most limiting factors for vermicompost production. The effects of the partial substitution of manure with sugarcane bagasse or residues of Gliricidia sepium on the quality of vermicomposts and the bioactivity of their humates were evaluated by analyzing the root growth and H+-ATPase activity of lettuce seedling roots. The substitutions of manure by sugar cane bagasse and legume cover crops residues did not affect the chemical properties of humates. Humates isolated from the different […]

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza, the plant P nutritional status and increasing levels of P in nutrient solution on Zn toxicity to Trema micrantha (L.) Blum. In a first experiment trema seedlings were grown in a substrate with increasing P rates [0, 100, 200 and 400 mg dm-3 as Ca(H2PO4)2], besides a mycorrhizal treatment inoculated with Glomus etunicatum (Ge). After 60 days of growth, the plants were transferred to pots with Clark’s nutrient solution […]

Studies about nitrogen and carbon mineralization in soils amended with urban waste compost are important to evaluate the reactions of this waste in soil and to define the best rates for crops. Two experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions to evaluate carbon and nitrogen mineralization in an Ultisol fertilized with urban waste compost. The Ultisol first experiment had a completely randomized design, with five urban waste compost rates of 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 t ha-1 and three replicates. In […]

In Rio Grande do Sul state, the area cultivated with under no-till system now amounts to 60 % of the total rain-fed cultivated area. However, there are still doubts as to crop practices in this soil conservation system, such as liming and fertilization as well as regarding root growth and crop productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of lime doses and application forms on corn root development. The experiment was carried out in 1999/2000, in the […]

This study compared the residual effect of reactive natural phosphate originated from Morocco with that of triple superphosphate on the oat biomass production, soybean yield and yield components, availability of phosphorus and sulfur in the soil and determined these nutrient contents in soybean leaf tissue in response to the phosphorus and sulfur sources and doses. The study consisted of soybean and oat crops cultivated under minimum tillage cultivation system. The experiment had a complete randomized block design with four replications […]