Volume 39, Number 4, 2015

The use of diazotrophic bacteria can help to achieve higher yields and reduce negative environmental impacts caused by N fertilizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of seed treatment with Azospirillum bacteria and the application of different rates of mineral N on maize agronomic performance at two levels of yield management. A field experiment was set up in Lages, SC, Brazil, in the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 growing seasons. A randomized block experimental design arranged in split-split […]

The soils used to grow irrigated rice in the State of Santa Catarina have different mineralogical and chemical characteristics from the soils used for calibration studies of the Mehlich-1 extractant, for estimating soil phosphorus availability to plants. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3, Resin, Olsen and EDTA extractants in predicting P availability to flood irrigated rice in soils of State of Santa Catarina. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in […]

The use of pig slurry (PS) as fertilizer can affect the soil quality and increase total stocks of soil organic carbon (TOC). However, the effects of PS on TOC amount and forms in the soil are not fully understood, particularly in areas under no-tillage (NT). The purpose of this study was to determine TOC contents and stocks in the particulate (POC) and mineral-associated C fractions (MAC) of an Oxisol after nine years of maize-oat rotation under NT, with annual applications […]

In the Jalapão region, State of Tocantins, Brazil, there are large contiguous areas of Neossolos Quartzarênicos (Tropsamments). Golden grass (Syngonanthus nitens) is a native species widely used as material for handicrafts in the region, and it is therefore of great importance for the local economy. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between soil physical and chemical properties and golden grass yield in Campos Limpos Úmidos within Jalapão State Park (Parque Estadual do Jalapão). We collected soil […]

The assessment of spatial uncertainty in the prediction of nutrient losses by erosion associated with landscape models is an important tool for soil conservation planning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spatial and local uncertainty in predicting depletion rates of soil nutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mg) by soil erosion from green and burnt sugarcane harvesting scenarios, using sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS). A regular grid with equidistant intervals of 50 m (626 points) was established in the […]

The number of machine passes, types of wheels, and high soil moisture during harvest operations affect the soil compaction process. The impacts of these factors and alternatives to reduce them must be better understood. This study evaluated the impact of different traffic intensities of a loaded forwarder and the effect of different management conditions of eucalyptus harvest residues on productivity, soil physical properties, and organic matter at the end of the subsequent rotation in two Oxisols in the State of […]

The description of the fate of fertilizer-derived nitrogen (N) in agricultural systems is an essential tool to enhance management practices that maximize nutrient use by crops and minimize losses. Soil erosion causes loss of nutrients such as N, causing negative effects on surface and ground water quality, aside from losses in agricultural productivity by soil depletion. Studies correlating the percentage of fertilizer-derived N (FDN) with soil erosion rates and the factors involved in this process are scarce. The losses of […]

As a result of soil management systems, like the conventional tillage system (CTS) versus the no-tillage system (NTS) for vegetable crops, modifications in soil properties occur, which change, for example, the rates of soil aggregation and the content of total organic carbon (TOC). The aim of this study was to quantify the TOC contents and evaluate the rates of soil aggregation and the distribution of aggregates by diameter classes in a soil planted to onion in NTS and CTS and […]

The State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, has agricultural and livestock activities, such as pig farming, that are responsible for adding large amounts of phosphorus (P) to soils. However, a method is required to evaluate the environmental risk of these high soil P levels. One possible method for evaluating the environmental risk of P fertilization, whether organic or mineral, is to establish threshold levels of soil available P, measured by Mehlich-1 extractions, below which there is not a high risk of […]