ABSTRACT: High copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) contents in soil can cause phytotoxicity to plants and contaminate surface and groundwater, with negative effects on agriculture and the environment. Functionalized charcoal (OCh) has high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the ability to adsorb Cu and Zn and control their availability in the soil and water. An adsorption study at two pH levels was carried out to evaluate increasing Cu and Zn sorption capacity provided by the functionalization process of a charcoal. […]

ABSTRACT: The conversion of native grassland into farmland causes changes in the soil. Tillage has profound effects on soil organic matter. The intensification of soil tillage decreases soil quality by reducing aggregate stability. Soil aggregate stability and soil organic matter are key indicators for soil quality and environmental sustainability in agro-ecosystems. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the total organic carbon content and the physical and chemical fractions of the organic matter in a soil under different […]

ABSTRACT The DayCent ecosystem model, widely tested in upland agroecosystems, was recently updated to simulate waterlogged soils. We evaluated the new version in a paddy rice experiment in Southern Brazil. DayCent was used to simulate rice yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil CH4 fluxes. Model calibration was conducted with a multiple-year dataset from the conventional tillage treatment, followed by a validation phase with data from the no-tillage treatment. Model performance was assessed with statistics commonly used in modeling studies: […]

ABSTRACT Growth in the agricultural and industrial sectors has increased the demand for rare earth elements (REEs) in the production of technological devices and fertilizers. Thus, the accumulation of these elements in the soil has become an environmental concern. Here, we aim to determine the natural contents of REEs in soils derived from different parent materials and under climatic conditions ranging from humid to semi-arid. We then evaluate the influence of major elements and soil properties on the geochemistry of […]

ABSTRACT Water erosion is one of the main environmental impacts of land use. When soil and water losses occur, nutrients essential for the growth and maintenance of plants are removed, with harmful outcomes on the sustainability of agriculture and the environment. In addition, they lead to other deleterious effects, such as sedimentation and eutrophication of water bodies. Estimation of soil losses due to water erosion in sub-basins is essential for prediction of soil degradation, especially in areas of semi-intensive cultivation, […]

ABSTRACT: Erodibility represents the intrinsic susceptibility of the soil to the erosion process, represented by the K factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). In Brazil, there are few field experiments determined with a series larger than ten years of data, which are the most reliable for quantifying the K factor. The aim of this study was to determine the K factor of the USLE by the direct method, relating soil losses determined in the field under standard conditions […]

ABSTRACT: The impact on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions caused by combining dairy slurry (DS) and urea to supply crops with nitrogen (N) is still not well characterized. The main objective of this study was to compare the differences between N2O emissions in the cases of exclusive use of urea and the combined use of DS and urea as N sources to no-tillage wheat and corn. We also compared N2O emissions between two DS application methods (surface-broadcast vs. injection), as well […]

ABSTRACT Rice yield increases in response to improvements in crop management, but the impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the subtropical region of Southern Brazil remains unknown. A three-year field study was developed aiming to evaluate the impact that an increase in crop management levels (high and very high) has on soil methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, as compared to the level (medium) currently adopted by farmers in Southern Brazil. Differences in crop management included seed and […]

ABSTRACT: The great geological and soil variation in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, indicates the need for regional studies to understand the geochemical background of soils. The Rio Doce Basin became a priority area for geochemical background determination after the rupture of the tailings dam of Fundão in 2015. In this context, the objectives of this study were to propose Reference Values of Soil Quality in the Rio Doce Basin, to define variables that can predict metal(loid) concentrations in […]

ABSTRACT The identification of erosion-susceptible areas is fundamental for the adoption of soil conservation practices. Thus, the best way to estimate the spatial pattern of soil erosion must be identified, in which the process uncertainties are also taken into consideration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal uncertainty of soil loss under two scenarios of sugarcane harvest management: green cane (GC) and burnt cane (BC). The study was carried out on a 200-ha area, in […]