ABSTRACT Soil aggregates and their stability affect a wide range of soil properties. This study aimed to (a) verify whether biogenic aggregation provides higher macro- and microaggregate stabilization, and (b) evaluate whether biogenic aggregates are associated with higher labile organic carbon and glomalin contents. Three management systems were evaluated (permanent pasture, PP; no-tillage system, NT; and no-tillage + Brachiaria system, NT+B) as well as a reference area (Atlantic Forest biome vegetation, NF). According to their origin or formation pathway, the […]

ABSTRACT Conventional tillage and intensive machinery traffic are the major causes of physical soil degradation in sugarcane fields. This study evaluates the impact of adopting conservation management practices during sugarcane planting on soil physical properties and stalk yield of sugarcane in the municipality of Ibitinga, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design (split-block) included four cover crops and three soil tillage systems, with three repetitions. For comparison purposes, a control treatment was also included (without cover crop and under […]

ABSTRACT The concept of a no-tillage system (NTS), or “Sistema Plantio Direto,” was established in Brazil from the evolution of no-tillage (NT) or “Plantio Direto,” given the edaphoclimatic conditions and the need to promote chemical, physical and biological improvements in cultivated soils. While “Plantio Direto” is a conservationist practice, “Sistema Plantio Direto” presents itself as an agricultural production system based on the simultaneous adoption of minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of permanent soil cover and crop rotation. This study reviews the […]

ABSTRACT The intensive nature of soil use in vegetable production areas has led to a marked decrease in soil quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adoption of soil management systems on vegetable production with regards to the chemical properties of a Rhodic Ferralsol after five years and to evaluate the use of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) statistical tool in discriminating the different treatments. The experiment was conducted under field conditions in central Brazil […]

ABSTRACT The biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) process in grasses is caused by diazotrophic bacteria, particularly Azospirillum brasilense. However, studies are lacking on BNF efficiency to define how much mineral nitrogen (N) can be applied to achieve more sustainable high yields. Furthermore, there should be an analysis of whether urea with the urease enzyme inhibitor NBPT is less harmful, benefiting BNF in grasses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of N sources and N rates associated with […]

ABSTRACT Autumn maize intercropped with tropical forages can raise the amount of crop residues and improve nutrient cycling, favoring subsequent soybean crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of forms of implementation of intercropping of irrigated autumn maize with tropical forages on yield, decomposition, nutrient accumulation and release, and on the ratio of lignin/total N of forage residues, yield components, and grain yield of subsequent soybean, and on soil physical and chemical properties, under no-tillage in […]

RESUMO As forrageiras perenes utilizadas na integração lavoura-pecuária (ILP) têm capacidade de acumular grande quantidade de palhada na superfície do solo no sistema de plantio direto (SPD). Além disso, potencialmente podem produzir grandes quantidades de compostos orgânicos hidrossolúveis que ajudam a melhorar a eficiência do calcário na subsuperfície, o que favorece o crescimento radicular e, assim, diminui os riscos de perdas de rendimentos nos veranicos e os eventuais efeitos nocivos da “supercalagem”. Objetivou-se testar por dois anos os efeitos da […]

A estimativa da capacidade de suporte de carga do solo a partir de modelos matemáticos que relacionam a pressão de preconsolidação (σp), a resistência mecânica do solo à penetração (RP) e o conteúdo gravimétrico de água do solo (U) é importante na definição de estratégias para prevenção da compactação de solos agrícolas. Portanto, objetivou-se modelar a σp e o índice de compressão (IC) em função da RP (em campo com penetrômetro de impacto e em laboratório com penetrômetro digital de […]

A agregação do solo e a distribuição do carbono orgânico total (COT) podem ser influenciadas pelo preparo do solo e plantas de cobertura. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi determinar os efeitos da rotação de culturas com plantas de cobertura na agregação do solo, a concentração de COT nas frações dos agregados do solo e a densidade do solo de solo cultivado em sistema de plantio direto (SPD) e sistema de preparo convencional do solo (PC, uma aração e duas gradagens). […]

Avaliar a qualidade do solo (QS) é uma importante estratégia para definir práticas e sistemas de manejo capazes de manter ou melhorar a sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrícolas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho objetivou avaliar as alterações na QS por meio de indicadores físicos, químicos e biológicos em um Latossolo Vermelho cultivado com diferentes sistemas de manejo e diferentes fertilizantes. O estudo foi conduzido em Taquaruçu do Sul, RS, utilizando como base um experimento implantado em 2009, distribuído em blocos ao acaso […]