Volume 35, Number 6, 2011

Weed management is considered one of the activities that degrade the soil structure most in coffee crops, due to the soil compaction caused by weed control operations. The objective of this study was to determine the bearing capacity models for no weed control and to use this model to determine which weed management causes smaller or greater soil compaction. The study was conducted on a Red-Yellow Latosol (LVA), under coffee (variety Topazio MG 1190), on the Experimental Farm of EPAMIG […]

The most traditional method to determine the soil-water retention curve is based on the Richards’ pressure plate apparatus. For practical reasons, cheaper and faster alternatives to the Richards’ apparatus are needed. Therefore, this study evaluated the use of the filter paper method. Initially, an Oxisol was sampled and physically characterized. Undisturbed soil samples were prepared and tested in Richards’ chamber, at pressures of 0, 10, 30, 60, 100, 300, 500, 1,000 and 1,500 kPa. In the filter paper test, the […]

Nowadays the concept of soil physical quality is well-established, based mainly on the indices that quantify soil quality. The S index is a new indicator of soil physical quality related to important soil characteristics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the method of obtaining the S index and the derivative of the function of the of water retention curve, using the transformation ln(h) or not, and assess the problem of units and the restriction m = 1 – […]

Especially under no-tillage, subsuface soil acidity has been a problem, because it depends on base leaching, which has been associated with the presence of low molecular weigth organic acids and companion anions. The objective of this study was to evaluate exchangeable base cation leaching as affected by surface liming along with annual urea side-dressing of maize and upland rice. Treatments consisted of four lime rates (0, 1500, 3000, and 6000 kg ha-1) combined with four nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, […]

One of the expected benefits of no-tillage systems is a higher rate of soil C sequestration. However, higher C retention in soil is not always apparent when no-tillage is applied, due e.g., to substantial differences in soil type and initial C content. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of no-tillage management to increase the stock of total organic C in soils of the Pampas region in Argentina. Forty crop fields under no-tillage and conventional tillage […]

The study of Se distribution in soils is of general interest because of the narrow range between deficiency and toxicity. The chemical species of Se with the greatest toxicological potential is selenate, due to its high mobility in soils. The study of selenate chemistry is of great importance to understand Se behavior in tropical soils. A batch adsorption experiment was performed using 2 g soil samples in 20 mL of solution with 10 different Se concentrations in the form of […]

Sequential extraction allows more detailed information about the origin of heavy metals in natural environments, their mode of occurrence, biological and physico-chemical availability, mobilization and transport. To study the Pb and Zn forms, eight soil profiles were selected at different sites within a Pb mining and metallurgy area in the city of Adrianópolis, state of Paraná, in the Rio Ribeira valley. Samples were collected from the layers 00-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm. The total Pb and Zn contents and their […]

Appropriate nitrogen availability during the common bean cycle is essential to ensure high grain yield and quality. This nutrient can be absorbed by the roots and leaves. However, there are still doubts about the efficiency of N leaf application and the influence on common bean grain quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of N sidedressing and leaf application on common bean grain yield and quality. The experiment was carried out in the dry growing […]

The greatest limitation to the sustainability of no-till systems in Cerrado environments is the low quantity and rapid decomposition of straw left on the soil surface between fall and spring, due to water deficit and high temperatures. In the 2008/2009 growing season, in an area under center pivot irrigation in Selvíria, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, this study evaluated the lignin/total N ratio of grass dry matter , and N, P and K deposition on the soil surface […]

The determination of nutrient absorption during the growth cycle is essential to determine the periods in which these elements are most required and the correct amounts that should be provided for potato, but for most cultivars used in Brazil the information is extremely scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate absorption and exportation of the macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S by the potato cultivars Ágata, Asterix, Atlantic, Markies, and Mondial. The experiment was conducted in […]