ABSTRACT The Bambuí Group, formed from siliciclastic sediments deposited on an extensive epicontinental platform at the end of the Neoproterozoic era, is characterized by limestones with fine to very fine texture. Limestone-derived soils in the southeast of Tocantins state, Brazil, are less notorious than similar soils in other regions of Brazil and their characterization could contribute to the Brazilian System for Soil Classification (SiBCS). Given that little is known of these soils, despitetheir agricultural potential, the objective of this study […]

ABSTRACT Experimental statistical procedures used in almost all scientific papers are fundamental for clearer interpretation of the results of experiments conducted in agrarian sciences. However, incorrect use of these procedures can lead the researcher to incorrect or incomplete conclusions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of the experiments and quality of the use of statistical procedures in soil science in order to promote better use of statistical procedures. For that purpose, 200 articles, published between […]

ABSTRACT Soil organic matter (SOM) is important to fertility, since it performs several functions such as cycling, water and nutrient retention and soil aggregation, in addition to being an energy requirement for biological activity. This study proposes new trends to the Embrapa, Walkley-Black, and Mebius methods that allowed the determination of SOM by spectrophotometry, increasing functionality. The mass of 500 mg was reduced to 200 mg, generating a mean of 60 % saving of reagents and a decrease of 91 […]

ABSTRACT Mehlich-1 soil extract is currently used in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and Santa Catarina (SC) States, in Brazil, to evaluate soil phosphorus available to plants and Mehlich-1 is sensitive to soil buffering capacity. This limitation is overcome partly by soil separation into buffering classes based on soil clay content. However, soil clay content has some technical and operational limitations, such as the underestimation of soil clay levels in soils under no-till. The aim of this study was to […]

ABSTRACT Guava response to fertilization can be monitored through plant tissue analysis. Correct interpretation of these results, based on standard levels, is of great importance for correct nutrient management of the crop. However, standard levels are constantly criticized for not considering interactions among elements. To improve the nutritional diagnosis of ‘Paluma’ guava (Psidium guajava L., Myrtaceae), an experiment was conducted using nitrogen fertilization (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kg per plant per cycle of N, with urea as a source […]

ABSTRACT Corn intercropped with Urochloa brizantha (Syn, Brachiaria brizantha) has been indicated as a suitable alternative management practice for rational land use in crop-livestock production systems in the Cerrado region of Brazil. An experiment was carried out in Maracaju, MS, Brazil to evaluate the effect of sequences of soybean/second-crop corn systems intercropped with Urochloa brizantha and the effects of forms of nitrogen on soil chemical and physical properties. A randomized block experimental design was used with four replications; treatments were […]

ABSTRACT Intensive land use can affect macrofaunal biodiversity, which is a property that can be used as a soil quality indicator. This study evaluated the abundance and diversity of soil macrofauna and its relation to soil chemical and physical properties in five land use systems (LUS) in the eastern region of Santa Catarina. The following LUS were studied: native forest (NF), eucalyptus plantations (EP), perennial pasture (PP), integrated crop-livestock (ICL), and no-tillage cropping (NT). The macrofauna was quantified in 0.25 […]

ABSTRACT Management of biological nitrogen fixation in common bean still requires improvement. The objective of this study was to verify the compatibility of nitrogen fertilization with biological N2 fixation to increase common bean yield and profitability. Four field experiments were performed in four municipalities of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the 2009 and 2010 winter crop season. The 2009 crop experiments were set up under a no-till system and the 2010 crop was conducted using conventional tillage. A randomized block experimental […]

ABSTRACT The composition of organic waste (OW) and its effect on soil processes may change soil fertility and electrical conductivity (EC). The side effects of waste use in crop fertilization are poorly understood for Brazilian soils. This study examined the effect of the addition of 15 different organic wastes to Oxisols and a Neosol on pH, base saturation, EC, cation exchange capacity (CEC at pH 7), and the availability of Al, macro (P, K, Ca2+, Mg2+ and S) and micronutrients […]

ABSTRACT Soils with an A horizon formed by human activity, an anthropogenic A horizon, are found in the Amazon Region. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of the properties of these soils. We mapped the spatial variability of some soil properties in an area of Archaeological Dark Earth (ADE) in the Brazilian Amazon. A sampling grid was defined over an area of 42 × 88 m under cacao cultivation in which sampling points were established at a spacing of […]