Volume 34, Number 1, 2010

The use of diagnosis methods for the determination of normal nutrient ranges is efficient since it is region-specific, thus not always applicable to other regions. This study aimed to determine the optimum nutrient ranges for cotton based on the Best likelihood (ChM), Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) and Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND). The study was conducted in commercial cotton fields for the 2004/2005 growing season, in São Desidério, state of Bahia, Brazil. The total nutrient content of 65 whole […]

Low phosphorus supply markedly limits leaf growth and genotypes able to maintain adequate leaf area at low P could adapt better to limited-P conditions. This work aimed to investigate the relationship between leaf area production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) genotypes during early pod filling and plant adaptation to limited P supply. Twenty-four genotypes, comprised of the four growth habits in the species and two weedy accessions, were grown at two P level applied to the soil (20 and 80 […]

The amounts of macro (P, K, Ca and Mg) and micronutrients (Cu and Zn) extracted with the Mehlich-1 (M1) solution, by the 1.0 mol L-1 KCl (KCl) and with the 0.1 mol L-1 HCl (HCl) for representative soil types of the Rio Grande do Sul state (Brazil) were compared with those extracted with the Mehlich-1 solution determined with the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP). The amounts of nutrients extracted by the different methods showed high correlation coefficients. On […]

The excessive use of fertilizers and liming as well as monoculture is rather common in the onion-producing region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Such practices have resulted in visual symptoms of micronutrient deficiency, mainly of micronutrients. This study aimed to measure the effect of B, Zn and Mn fertilizers on yield and quality of onion bulbs. Three individual trials, one for each nutrient, were carried out in the field, in Ituporanga, southern Brazil, from 2006 until 2009. In each experiment, […]

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the most widespread limitations to the establishment and maintenance of pastures in tropical areas. This deficiency is mainly due to the low soil P content and adsorption/precipitation processes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of manure and lime applications on the residual effect of phosphorus applied to common bean on phosphorus nutrition and yield of Brachiaria brizantha grown in succession. Four experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, in a completely […]

Alterations in Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium Concentrations in Marandu Palisadegrass Fertilized with Nitrogen and Sulfur Rates An efficient pasture use in intensive production systems depends on the balanced mineral nutrition of the forage plant. Our objective was to evaluate changes in potassium, calcium and magnesium concentrations of Brachiaria brizantha, cv. Marandu grown on an Entisol with nitrogen and sulfur rates. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, from December 2004 to April 2005. […]

Soil mechanical penetration resistance exerts a strong influence on plant development since the root growth as well as crop yield are inversely related to this variable. On the other hand, soil organic matter and pH are also relevant for plant development, for being directly linked to soil nutrient availability. In the 2005/2006 growing season, the following dendrometric parameters of Eucalyptus camaldulensis were analyzed: (a) wood volume (WV), (b) perimeter at breast height (PBH) and c) plant height (PH), and the […]

Losses of productivity of flooded rice in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, may occur in the Coastal Plains and in the Southern region due to the use of saline water from coastal rivers, ponds and the Laguna dos Patos lagoon, and the sensibility of the plants are variable according to its stage of development. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the production of rice grains and its components, spikelet sterility and the phenological development of […]

Potassium availability for plants depends on the contents of the K forms present in the soils (non exchangeable, exchangeable and soluble K), which vary according to the degree of pedogenetic development of soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate K availability in soils with different degrees of pedogenetic development, based on the extraction of K from the soils with different extractants and with corn plants. Samples of the surface layer (0-30 cm) were collected from 12 representative soils […]

The Brazilian System of Soil Classification (SiBCS) is a taxonomic system, open and in permanent construction, as new knowledge on Brazilian soils is obtained. The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical, physical, morphological, micro-morphological and mineralogical properties of four pedons of Oxisols in a highland toposequence in the upper Jequitinhonha Valley, emphasizing aspects of their genesis, classification and landscape development. The pedons occupy the following slope positions: summit – Red Oxisol (LV), mid slope (upper third) – […]