Volume 38, Number 4, 2014

The occurrence of cohesive soils in Brazil is predominantly related to sandy-clay sediments of the Barreiras Formation, which are geologically related to the sedimentary deposits of the Tertiary period (from Paleocene to Pliocene), which constitute the geomorphological unit of the Coastal Plains. The objective of this study was to identify the occurrence of cohesive soils in the eastern region of the state of Maranhão, Brazil, and assess their relationship to position in the landscape. The area under study is 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 […]

Dark subsurface horizons with morphological characteristics similar to sombric horizons are found in higher altitude areas of the eastern portion of the Sul-Rio-Grandense Shield, Brazil. They developed in the A2, AB (or AC), and BA horizons of Ultisols, Alfisols, and Entisols. The mechanisms responsible for their genesis are still poorly understood, although most authors agree on the illuvial origin of the humus horizon and on its diagnostic character. The objective of this study was to characterize and analyze nine soil […]

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 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 […]

In analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of the factors inherent to agricultural production, geostatistics is the basis for the application of the concepts of precision agriculture. Thus, this study was developed to evaluate the spatial variability of soil physical and water properties and to delineate homogeneous zones in a vineyard using geostatistical tools. A field experiment was carried out in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil (in the Lower Middle São Francisco Valley) in a grape vineyard, irrigated by microsprinklers. In […]

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 […]

Weed management in the coffee crop has a pronounced effect on soil physical quality, affecting its structural stability, among other properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the state of aggregation of primary particles of a Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo (LVA) [Oxisol] planted with coffee when subjected to various weed control methods. The weed control methods evaluated were biological control with Arachis pintoi L. (a forage crop close to the peanut) and Brachiaria decumbens; mechanical control with a disk […]

The conversion of native vegetation in agricultural systems can change with over the years of growing levels of C and N as well as the isotopic signal of 13C and 15N of soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contents of C and N and the natural abundance of δ13C and δ15N in the soil profile in a chronosequence of no-tillage agriculture (NT) in the Cerrado (tropical savanna) of Goias (GO), Brazil. For this purpose, areas under […]

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 […]