Volume 25, Number 3, 2001

The integration between agriculture and cattle-raising in some areas can restrict the use of no-tillage system in clayey soils, due to soil surface compaction, which restricts root growth and limits crop yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil physical properties and maize parameters caused by animal trampling preceding the summer crop, under two tillage systems. The degree of degradation of the cultivated soil compared to the native forest was also evaluated. The experiment was […]

The structural modifications caused by the different management systems to the soil can result in greater or lower compaction, which may change bulk density, porosity, water infiltration in the soil and crop root development. The present work aims to study the effects of structure soil moisture and soil resistance in the distribution of the corn root system in clay soil and under field condition, using conventional system (plowing plus leveler grille) for over 10 years, and no-tillage for over 20 […]

The movement of nitrate in soil percolate was evaluated in a field experiment using a Typic Hapludox cultivated with sugarcane and amended with urban compost waste or inorganic fertilizer. The experiment, conducted during the years of 1996/97 and 1997/98, had the following treatments: lime + inorganic fertilization, and control and urban compost waste applied in three levels: 20, 40 and 60 Mg ha-1 (dry weight basis). In the second year (1997/98), the urban compost waste was applied to soil in […]

One of the great challenges in environmental research today is to find tolerant species of plants and microsymbionts to make viable the revegetation of contaminated areas with heavy metals. This experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions at the Soil Science Department of the Federal University of Lavras (MG), from August to December 1998, to assess the tolerance to heavy metals and the capacity to establish rhizobia symbiosis with Enterolobium contortisiliquum (tamboril), Acacia mangium (acacia) and Sesbania virgata (sesbânia) in […]

This experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions with soil pots during 210 days, to evaluate the effect of calcitic papermill lime-sludge application (at the rates 0, 773, 1.547, and 2.320 mg kg-1 or respective equivalents to control, 2, 4, and 6 t ha-1), on chemical composition of soil leachate and its effects on eucalypt growth and yield. Highest soil leachate pH, SO4, and Na concentrations occurred in the 4 and 6 t ha-1 treatments. Soil leachate nitrate concentrations decreased […]

The porosity characteristics of a Red-Yellow Podzolic was evaluated after 10 years of cultivation, under the following soil management treatments: no-tillage, moldboard plowing + disking, disk plowing + disking, off-set disk harrowing followed by moldboard plowing + disking, off-set disk harrowing followed by disk plowing + disking and off-set disk harrowing followed by disking. Undisturbed 15 cm high and 15 cm deep soil blocks, were sampled for morphometric analysis of the soil porosity. Results indicated the presence of surface sealing […]

Silicon has been considered a beneficial element for plants that accumulate it, specially rice, thus it is quite common its addition to deficient soils. However, its effects seem to depend more on environmental and indirect factors related to soil and silicon sources characteristics. With the objective to study the effect of silicon as the single growth factor of rice (Oryza sativa cv. BR-IRGA 410), an experiment was carried out using nutrient solution under greenhouse conditions, with and without the addition […]