Volume 35, Number 1, 2011

Different weed managements in coffee have led to structural changes, affecting the soil physical quality. Therefore, information on the load bearing capacity of the soil under different weed managements is essential to establish a sustainable soil management under coffee. The objectives of this study were to: (a) assess the influence of different weed managements over three decades on the load bearing capacity of a Dystroferric Red Latosol (LVdf) cultivated with coffee on the Epamig Farm in São Sebastião do Paraíso, […]

Gaseous N losses from soil are considerable, resulting mostly from ammonia volatilization linked to agricultural activities such as pasture fertilization. The use of simple and accessible measurement methods of such losses is fundamental in the evaluation of the N cycle in agricultural systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantification methods of NH3 volatilization from fertilized surface soil with urea, with minimal influence on the volatilization processes. The greenhouse experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with […]

Leguminous plants used as green manure are an important nutrient source for coffee plantations, especially for soils with low nutrient levels. Field experiments were conducted in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais State, Brazil to evaluate the decomposition and nutrient release rates of four leguminous species used as green manures (Arachis pintoi, Calopogonium mucunoides, Stizolobium aterrimum and Stylosanthes guianensis) in a coffee agroforestry system under two different climate conditions. The initial N contents in plant residues varied from 25.7 […]

The effect of potting mix and phosphate fertilization on the production of rooted cocoa tree cuttings was evaluated and recommended rates and critical foliar P levels were determined based on a factorial 5 x 5 + 1 experiment: five potting medium (coconut fiber CF and Plantmax® mix), five P rates at planting (0 to 800 mg dm-3) and an additional P treatment (applied on the 30th day). Each plot contained 27 cuttings, of which 12 rooted cuttings were evaluated. From […]

Nutrient cycling and balance in integrated crop-livestock systems (ICL) are processes that involves soil, plant and animal components, beyond fertilization. Animal management, by modifying soil biotic and abiotic conditions, also influences this process as it affects the residue decomposition rate. The objective was to evaluate potassium (K) cycling and balance in an ICL system with grazing (black oat and ryegrass) intensities in the winter, followed by soybean cultivated in the summer. The experiment was conducted as of May of 2001 […]

An experiment was conducted in a growth chamber to evaluate characteristics of the rhizosphere of maize genotypes contrasting in P-use efficiency, by determining length and density of root hairs, the rhizosphere pH and the functional diversity of rhizosphere bacteria. A sample of a Red Oxisol was limed and fertilized with N, K and micronutrients. In the treatment with the highest P level, 174 mg kg-1 P was added. Each experimental unit corresponded to a PVC rhizobox filled with 2.2 dm-3 […]

Nitrogen influences the processes of morphogenesis and tillering in Poaceae. However, its effect on maize tillering is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess whether N rates and application time affect tiller emission, survival and contribution to maize grain yield. The experiment was set up in Lages, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, in the growing seasons of 2006/07 and 2008/09. The experimental design was arranged in randomized blocks with split plots. In the first year, the main plots consisted […]

The different periods of tillage and forms of management may influence the availability of nutrients, including P. The objective of this study was evaluate the beans plants response to phosphate fertilizer in four Cerrado Latosols with different land use history. Samples of a clayey dystrophic Red Latosol (LVd1), a high medium texture Red Latosol (LVd2), a medium dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol (LVAd1) and a low medium texture Red-Yellow Latosol (LVAd2) were collected in 0-20 cm depth layer in cultivated areas and […]

Although the determination of remaining phosphorus (Prem) is simple, accurate values could also be estimated with a pedotransfer function (PTF) aiming at the additional use of soil analysis data and/or Prem replacement by an even simpler determination. The purpose of this paper was to develop a pedotransfer function to estimate Prem values of soils of the State of São Paulo based on properties with easier or routine laboratory determination. A pedotransfer function was developed by artificial neural networks (ANN) from […]

Soil functions and quality are closely linked to soil structure. The effect of management practices on the recovery of the aggregation of a physically degraded soil was studied based on the distribution of water-stable aggregates and single particles (diameter classes 9.51-4.76, 4.76-2.00, 2.00-0.25, 0.25-0.053, < 0.053 mm) and carbon stock (C) in the surface layer (0-7.5 cm) of a Paleudult in the Central Depression region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, under different management systems. The following […]