ABSTRACT Soil water retention is among the soil hydraulic properties most routinely measured in studies of soil physics and related areas. This property is used in dynamic simulations of vadose zone processes such as soil water availability, surface boundary processes of evaporation and infiltration, and the fate of soil pollutants. The most common measurement technique consists in establishing a hydrostatic equilibrium between an initially saturated soil sample and a porous medium at a certain tension on a tension table or […]

ABSTRACT The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is essential for vadose zone hydrological modeling and related applications. In 2004, Groenevelt and Grant (GRT) presented a mathematical model for describing the SWRC and reported its mathematical versatility and good fit to soils from a Dutch database. In order to evaluate the application of GRT to SWRCs of Brazilian soils, we aimed to analyze the performance of GRT for 72 soils from Brazil. Besides that, the obtained results with GRT for these […]

ABSTRACT The liquid limit (LL) is an important parameter for soil classification systems. The use of the cone penetrometer technique for measuring the liquid limit is an attractive alternative method since the percussion method is highly operator dependent. In this article, the importance of specifying the procedure and equipment used to determine the LL of a clay soil is highlighted using LL test results conducted on different clay soils. The results of LL, obtained by the percussion method proposed by […]

ABSTRACT Above and underground hydrological processes depend on soil moisture (SM) variability, driven by different environmental factors that seldom are well-monitored, leading to a misunderstanding of soil water temporal patterns. This study investigated the stability of the SM temporal dynamics to different monitoring temporal resolutions around the border between two soil types in a tropical watershed. Four locations were instrumented in a small-scale watershed (5.84 km2) within the tropical coast of Northeast Brazil, encompassing different soil types ( Espodossolo Humilúvico […]

ABSTRACT The implementation of conservationist systems that improve soil properties and reduce the impacts of the conversion of native areas is fundamental for feasible agricultural exploitation. This study aimed to evaluate the impact on soil biological properties caused by the conversion of murundus fields into agricultural systems and verify the ability of the no-tillage conservation system to recover these properties over the years. Treatments consisted of three agricultural areas subjected to the same management (no-tillage), in a chronosequence (7, 11, […]

ABSTRACT: In recent years, various studies and development using nanoparticles (NPs) have been carried out in the most diverse areas of knowledge. Although nanomaterials are widely employed by many sectors and some may have a fertilizing potential, little is known about their effects on the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of applying, in tropical natural soil, different contents of nanoparticles of zinc oxide (NPs-ZnO) and non-nano zinc oxide (ZnO) on soil pH and on the survival and […]

ABSTRACT Vermicomposted vegetal and animal residues are rich in nutrients and humic substances and thus can be applied to the soil as a source of functionalized organic matter (OM) and as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. In Southern Brazil, many animal and vegetal residues are easily accessible. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate alterations in soil chemical properties and OM chemical composition in response to the application of local vermicomposted residues. The vermicomposts of: cattle manure (CM), sheep manure (SM), […]

ABSTRACT Variations in chemical and mineralogical properties of a soil can occur at short vertical and horizontal distances. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the chemical and mineralogical soil properties of different aggregate classes from young (Ustrochrept) and highly weathered (Acrustox) soils from the state of Paraná, Brazil. Undisturbed blocks (0.20 ×0.20 ×0.20 m) of soils were separated into aggregate classes: Acrustox – 8.0-4.0 mm; 4-2 mm; 2.0-0.5 mm; 0.5-0.2 mm; and <0.2 mm; and Ustrochrept – […]

ABSTRACT: Soil microorganisms are influenced by climate change. However, the effect of climate change on soil cultivable bacteria are unclear. In this study, the composition and diversity of the soil cultivable bacterial community were explored by a dilution–plate method, PCR, and 16S rRNA sequencing in a desert steppe of northern China after repeated NH4NO3 amendments and precipitation manipulation for seven years. The experimental treatments were as follows: control (CK), N addition (+N), N addition plus water addition (+N+W), and N […]

ABSTRACT: Soil water retention and availability are important properties for agricultural production, which can be measured directly or estimated by pedotransfer functions. Some studies on this topic were carried out in Santa Catarina, Brazil. To improve the estimates, it is necessary to evaluate other properties, to analyze more soil types, as well as to use other analysis techniques such as artificial neural networks and regression trees. Thus, the objective of the study was to estimate the field capacity (FC), permanent […]