Volume 31, Number 2, 2007

The objective of this paper is to study selected components of the nutrient cycle of pure and mixed stands of native forest species of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Tree diameter, height, above-ground biomass, and nutrient content were determined in 22-year-old stands. Litterfall, litter decomposition, and nutrient concentration were evaluated from August 1994 to July 1995. The following species were studied: Peltogyne angustiflora, Centrolobium robustum, Arapatiella psilophylla, Sclerolobium chrysophyllum, Cordia trichotoma, Macrolobium latifolium. The litter of a natural forest and […]

An experiment was carried out at the Bebedouro Experimental Station in Petrolina, state of Pernambuco, from January 1999 to December 2001, on a sandy Yellow Eutrophic Argisol, with the objective of evaluating the effect of green fertilizers associated with liming and mineral and organic fertilization on the soil chemical attributes and the yield and quality of irrigated melon (Cucumis melo). A randomized complete block design with split-plots and four replications was used. The treatments assigned to the main plots were […]

Nitrogen is indispensable for pasture establishment, maintenance and production recovery, and its effect is apparently dependent on sulphur supply. It was hypothesized that increasing nitrogen supply requires higher sulphur rates to recover signalgrass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.), and that fertilization increases the water use efficiency by plants. The leaf area, dry matter yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency of the grass were evaluated under the application of nitrogen and sulphur rates. Cylinders of 15 cm diameter and 20 cm depth […]

Knowledge on mineral nutrient dynamics in coffee trees is important to identify the period of greatest nutritional requirement by the plant, allowing the improvement of fertilization techniques. The aim of our research was to study Ca and Mg dynamics in coffee fruits from anthesis to maturation and compare it with the dynamics of the same elements in leaves of productive branch leaves. The experiment was carried out with three Arabic coffee varieties (Catuaí Vermelho IAC-99, Rubi MG-1192 and Acaiá IAC-474-19) […]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stocks, and quality of the soil organic matter (SOM) through the use of solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and fluorescence spectroscopy of a fine clay fluventic Eutrichrept after long-term sugarcane cultivation. In one area, sugarcane has been grown for 55 years no field burning before harvest. In another area managed under the traditional system the crop field has been burned before harvest for 35 […]

Brazil is the most important exporter of cashew nut in the world. The production is concentrated in the northeast region, which accounts for 97 % of the national production. However, in the recent years the cashew nut production has been declining, specially in the state of Ceará, mainly due to inadequate soil management. The aim of this study was to evaluate alterations in the physical and chemical properties of an Ultisol submitted to distinct soil management practices and the development […]

Citurs rootstocks are dependent of the growdcover management systems. This study aimed to identify the divergences of seven rootstocks for ‘Folha Murcha’ sweet orange trees in two groundcover management systems on a Paleudult. The study was performed at the IAPAR research station, in Paranavai, northwestern Paraná, Brazil. The experiment was in a complete random block design with threer replications for the bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) groundcover treatment and one replication for the perennial groundnut legume (Arachis pintoi Krap. & Greg.). […]

The soil particle-size distribution has great influence on the plant yield. In the 2002/2003 growing season, plant and soil attributes of an experimental station of the Faculdade de Engenharia/UNESP (Ilha Solteira/SP – Brazil) were analyzed: common bean grain yield (GP), straw yield (SP), clay content (CL), silt (SI) and sand (SA) of a Red Latosol (Oxisol) under no-tillage. The objective was to analyze the variability of the evaluated attributes to characterize spatial dependences and to study linear and spatial correlations […]

For the timber exploitation of forest stands, transport machines pass several times along the same track and this operation can cause soil compaction. This paper aimed to evaluate the soil compaction level as related to the number of passes of a forwarder and weight of the timber load. The study was carried out in Santana do Paraíso country, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in a six year-old eucalypt stand with 3 x 2 m spacing on an caulinitic Oxisol. The trees […]

For aggregated soils the Mohr failure line can be separated into two straight lines, with different slopes and intercepts. In the range of low normal load, when the slope is very steep and the intercept is small, the failure line is defined by the friction and cohesion inter-aggregates, while for the higher load range the slope becomes smaller and intercept is larger, which defines the intra-aggregate friction and cohesion. Therefore, for aggregated soils the normal load range used in the […]