Volume 37, Number 5, 2013

Research has investigated the best nitrogen rate for maize under the most diverse types of soil management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of cover crops, soil management and topdressed N rates on the dry matter production, nutritional status, plant lodging, plant height and first-ear insertion of maize. Field experiments were carried out in Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, in the growing seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, on a clayey Rhodic Haplustox (20o 20′ […]

Few studies in Brazil have addressed the need for micronutrients of physic nut focusing on physiological responses, especially in terms of photosynthesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of omission of boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) on Jatropha curcas L.. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replications. The treatments were complete solution (control) and solution without B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. We evaluated the chlorophyll content […]

The industrial waste lime sludge originated from the production of bleached kraft paper from eucalyptus, contains considerable amount of calcium, which can help reduce the consumption of fertilizers in forest plantations. To evaluate the effect of lime sludge as a Ca source and its effects on nutrient availability and shoot dry matter production of eucalyptus trees, two greenhouse experiments were conducted in the research area of Klabin, in Paraná. The soils were an Entisol quartzipsamments and an Alfisol paleudult. The […]

The use of cover crops in vineyards is a conservation practice with the purpose of reducing soil erosion and improving the soil physical quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate cover crop species and management systems on soil physical properties and grape yield. The experiment was carried out in Bento Gonçalves, RS, Southern Brazil, on a Haplic Cambisol, in a vineyard established in 1989, using White and Rose Niagara grape (Vitis labrusca L.) in a horizontal, overhead trellis […]

Soil and water loss data from rainfall erosion studies are fundamental for the planning of soil conservation. Despite the implantation of no-tillage systems, introduced in the 1970s, conservation practices, e.g., contour cropping and terracing, are still required for an effective control of rainfall erosion, especially in areas with high rainfall amounts. Another alternative for erosion control is the planting of cover crops for soil protection. The objective of this study was to quantify water and soil losses by rainfall erosion […]

Tillage systems are a key element of the technology of crop production, both with a view to crop yield and from the perspective of soil conservation and sustainability of the production system. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effects of five tillage systems on the physical properties of a cohesive Yellow Argisol. The experiment was installed in the field on January 21, 2011 and lasted 260 days, in an area previously used as pasture with Brachiaria grass […]

The presence of compacted layers in soils can induce subprocesses (e.g., discontinuity of water flow) and induces soil erosion and rill development. This study assesses how rill erosion in Oxisols is affected by a plow pan. The study shows that changes in hydraulic properties occur when the topsoil is eroded because the compacted layer lies close below the surface. The hydraulic properties that induce sediment transport and rill formation (i.e., hydraulic thresholds at which these processes occur) are not the […]

The use of cover crops is a practice that can improve the physical quality of soils. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of intercropping of summer legumes with maize to improve soil physical properties. The study was conducted in the field from September 2008 to September 2009, in an Ultisol in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with five treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of […]

The efficiency of nitrogen fertilization for sod production can be increased by using slow-release sources such as sewage sludge compost, which, due to its characteristics can be a substitute of part or all inorganic fertilization for grass. No results were found for the use of sludge compost in sod production in Brazil. This study evaluated the effect of rates of sewage sludge compost on the production of zoysiagrass. Treatments consisted of five rates of composted sewage sludge compost (0, 12, […]

The main soil properties related to the leaching of naphthalene in soils are particle size, organic matter content and the mineralogical composition of silt and clay fractions. The aim of this study was to evaluate naphtalene reactive transfer in soil columns determinated by the dispersion and retardation of naphthalene in soil samples collected from the surroundings of fuel storage tanks in Recife, Brazil. Leaching experiments were carried out in columns containing disturbed soils and were modeled using the convection-dispersion equation, […]