ABSTRACT: Currently, the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) represents the main agricultural area of the country, comprising a great variety of landscapes and soils, geological formations and vegetation patterns, as well as the major watershed. We studied the hydropedology and morphometry of a representative catchment (Frutal river), on a high tableland (Chapada) in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Brazil, describing the soil-water-landscape relationships to understand land use and water resources. To this end, we applied physical, chemical, micromorphological, and morphometric methods. When dry, […]

ABSTRACT: The parent geological materials and formation factors influence the chemical, physical, and mineralogical properties and composition of the soil. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the chemical and some physical and mineralogical properties of the soil useful for agricultural practice; to determine the natural contents of the semitotal metals in soils of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); and to suggest use of the quality reference values (QRVs) in accordance with Resolution 420/2009 of […]

ABSTRACT A first large-scale systematic survey of natural radioactivity contents of soils of the state of Rio de Janeiro is presented, focused on the establishment of Quality Reference Values (QRVs). Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 243 areas and analyzed by gamma spectrometry. The activity contents varied largely, ranging from 12.2 to 1,029 Bq kg−1 for 40K (geometric mean of 111.1 Bq kg−1), from 3.5 to 99.8 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra (geometric mean of 29.7 Bq kg−1), and from 5.4 […]

ABSTRACT The identification of areas with greater erosive potential is important for planning soil and water conservation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical characteristics of rainfall events in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and their interactions with rainfall patterns through multivariate statistical analysis. Rainfall depth, kinetic energy, 30-min intensity (I30), duration of rainfall events, and the erosivity indices KE >10, KE >25, and EI30 in 36 locations (stations) were subjected to principal component analysis […]

ABSTRACT For the development of nutrient budget models to recommend lime and fertilizers for agricultural and forestry crops, curves of plant growth and nutrient accumulation are required. Information about how nutrients are partitioned between the different plant organs is also necessary, but still scarce for pine in Brazil. This study evaluated the growth, biomass partitioning, and nutrient dynamics in pine forests in southern Brazil. To this end, we assessed unthinned 2, 4, 6, and 8-year-old stands of Pinus taeda L. […]

ABSTRACT Improvement of fallow vegetation can have a positive impact on the productivity of slash-and-mulch systems in eastern Amazonia. Phosphorus fertilization can increase biomass and nutrient stocks in the fallow phase, thereby improving nutrient cycling and crop productivity. Here, we compared biomass and nutrient stocks under three fallow management strategies: (1) natural fallow (regrowth vegetation) – NF; (2) NF vegetation improved with leguminous trees (Sclerolobium paniculatum Vogel and Inga edulis Mart.) – IF; and (3) NF vegetation improved with leguminous […]

Abstract Nicotine concentration is a key index and directly affects the industrial quality and availability of flue-cured tobacco (FCT). Seedlings transplanted at different times were subjected to different climatic conditions, which were closely correlated with the growth, development, and nicotine synthesis of FCT. An appropriate transplanting time is imperative for ensuring high-quality tobaccos. Hence, a 15N tracing experiment in the field (which included three treatments: FCT seedlings transplanted on 5th, 15th, and 25th May) was carried out to evaluate the […]

ABSTRACT The Jaguarí River Basin forms the main water supply sources for the São Paulo Metropolitan Region and other cities in the state. Since the kinetic energy of rainfall is the driving force of water erosion, the main cause of land and water degradation, we tested the hypothesis of correlation between the erosive potential of rainfall (erosivity) and geographical coordinates and altitude for the purpose of predicting the spatial and temporal distribution of the rainfall erosivity index (EI30) in the […]

ABSTRACT Modern maize, wheat, and soybean cultivars are usually characterized by a short cycle, high shoot-root ratio, and high responsiveness to nutrient input. Continuous no-tillage management (NTS) frequently leads to a steep gradient in soil chemical quality with depth, thus decreasing yield under conditions of acid subsoil and water stress. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gypsum, applied separately or in combination with lime, on the yield of cultivars used in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, […]

Abstract Plant health and nutrition are strongly influenced by the availability of water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the different patterns of initial growth and nutritional efficiency of ten drought-stressed Eucalyptus clones. Water stress conditions were induced by osmotic stress, by gradual addition of polyethylene glycol 6000 over a 20-day period. Drought stress significantly reduced the dry matter of leaves, roots, and the whole plant as well as the nutritional efficiency of most clones. Clone PL040 was […]