Volume 35, Number 6, 2011

Ravines represent one of the formations resulting from water erosion, with concentrated surface water flow down hillsides of degraded areas, yet without subsurface water flow. The objective of this study was to evaluate hydraulic flow conditions in ravines as well as to determine soil erosion resistance parameters: soil erodibility (Kr) and critical shear stress (τc) on the ravine surfaces, as well as to determine soil erodibility at several depths of degraded hillsides along the coastline of the state of Pernambuco. […]

Erodibility is an important factor for soil loss quantification, representing the processes that regulate water infiltration and soil resistance to the breakdown and transport of particles. Thus, by analyzing the spatial dependence of the principal components of erodibility (K-factor), aimed to estimate soil erodibility in a headwaters area in the watershed Córrego do Tijuco, Monte Alto, SP, and analyze the spatial variability of soil texture variables across the landscape. The mean erodibility of the area was high and the analysis […]

Intercropping of a forage and main grain crop ensures forage production in the autumn-winter, and straw for mulching in the no-tillage system. The contribution of dry root matter in the soil profile allows the improvement of soil structural quality. The objective of this research was to evaluate changes in soil physical and physico-hydric properties with the cultivation of maize grown alone and intercropped with Brachiaria brizantha. The study was carried out on the Experimental Farm Lageado (UNESP, Botucatu-SP) in the […]

Long-term experiments testing different soil managements provide valuable information in the comparison of alterations in physical, chemical and biological soil properties with soil under natural vegetation. This long-term study was carried out to evaluate the external morphology and the stability of aggregates in the surface layer of a Yellowish-Red Argisol under different managements for comparison with secondary Atlantic Forest. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from the 0-5 cm layer from soil under no-tillage (PD) and disk plow + […]

To mitigate the impacts of eucalypt monoculture, forestry companies in the Upper Jequitinhonha Valley (MG) have adopted the insertion of strips of native vegetation in-between the commercial plantations. The method used for the creation of these corridors is to allow spontaneous regrowth of native vegetation in areas previously under eucalypt. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cover crops on microbial and soil properties for a detailed description of the restoration process of native vegetation in […]

Weed control is one of the most intensive management practices in coffee plantations resulting in changes in soil chemical properties. The objectives of this study were: a) to assess the effects of weed management in a coffee plantation on the chemical properties of a Dystroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol) compared to soil under native forest; b) to verify the relationship between soil organic carbon content (COS) and the effective cation exchange capacity (effective CEC) and the cation exchange capacity at pH […]

The use of organic-mineral fertilizer produced by the manufacturing industry of lysine and threonine amino acids can improve the fertility of tropical soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different doses of the organic-mineral fertilizer named Ajifer L-14 on chemical properties and on the response with increased production of a forage on a Red Latosol in the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil. A randomized block design was used with seven treatments and four […]

The techniques available for the remediation of environmental accidents involving petroleum hydrocarbons are generally high-cost solutions. A cheaper, practical and ecologically relevant alternative is the association of plants with microorganisms that contribute to the degradation and removal of hydrocarbons from the soil. The growth of three tropical grass species (Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria decumbens and Paspalum notatum) and the survival of root-associated bacterial communities was evaluated at different diesel oil concentrations. Seeds of three grass species were germinated in greenhouse and […]