ABSTRACT One considerable concern arises from saline wastewater resulting from the production chain of the anticoagulant drug heparin. This waste contains a high concentration of sodium (Na, 2400 mg L-1), which can negatively influence soil structure. Simultaneously, it possesses a rich organic carbon content and nutrients that are beneficial to agricultural systems. This study sought to assess potential changes in physical and chemical properties, as well as soil mineralogy resulting from the application of varying proportions of industrial saline wastewater […]

ABSTRACT Sustainable agricultural systems, such as integrated crop-livestock systems under no-tillage, represent effective strategies for improving the soil microbiota, promoting nutrient cycling, and leading to gains in crop yield. Despite that, little is known about maintaining yield only through microbiological pathways for accessing nutrient reserves (without mineral fertilization) in established systems. This study aimed to evaluate whether the absence of mineral fertilization for two consecutive years and grazing activity affect soil microbial activity. An additional aim was to evaluate whether […]

ABSTRACT A double concentric ring is a widely used method for point measurement of water infiltration into the soil. These measurements are widely used to determine the impact of use and management on soil permeability to water infiltration. Two aspects of this technique that are interesting for research are the short duration of high infiltration rates observed after soil decompaction and the suspicion of lateral flow occurrence that overestimates infiltration. In this study, we evaluated the hypotheses that (i) agricultural […]

ABSTRACT The reduced crop diversity under no-tillage increases soil compaction and reduces soil quality. This study aimed to investigate whether intercropping corn and Urochloa has significant short-term effects on soil physical quality, as assessed by Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS), and its correlations with physical properties. Soil physical quality was assessed after corn and Urochloa intercropping and corn without Urochloa. The VESS, penetration resistance, bulk density, air-filled porosity, air permeability, pore continuity index, and water storage capacity were determined […]

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern that requires an integrated approach including human, animal and environmental health. Agricultural environments, such as soil, animal waste and irrigation water, play crucial roles in the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance, as they act as reservoirs and pathways for disseminating resistance determinants. However, these agricultural environments are still often underestimated or neglected in many studies. This study aimed to address antimicrobial resistance in agricultural environments in Brazil and summarize the current state […]

ABSTRACT Soils of the Cerrados (Brazilian Savanna) are deep, well-structured, and well-drained, with flat to gently undulating terrain that favors mechanization for coffee cultivation. However, these soils are susceptible to compaction. This study aimed to assess the effect of mechanization on the physical characteristics of an Oxisol under irrigated coffee cultivation in the Alto Paranaíba-Minas Gerais State. We selected eight areas with different cultivars and years of Arabica coffee plantation, sampling five positions: right soil under the tree crown (RSC), […]

ABSTRACT Centipedes and millipedes promote important functions in the ecosystem. However, land use intensification in agricultural areas can reduce the abundance and diversity of these organisms. To understand the effect of grazing intensification on communities of centipedes and millipedes, we sampled these organisms in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) experiment, cultivated for 13 years with soybean (Glycine max) in the summer and black oat (Avena strigosa) + Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) for cattle grazing in the winter. Treatments consisted of […]

ABSTRACT Stress transfers inside the soil during the traveling process of agricultural machinery, and the bonding of soil particles during this process is the main cause of soil compaction. In this study, the discrete element method was used to simulate the different responses of stress transfer and particle bonding in the soil under different times of tire passes in the tire-soil interaction process of agricultural machinery operation. It was found that from 1 to 8 passes, the increase in the […]

ABSTRACT Land use changes profoundly impact the natural dynamics of soil phosphorus (P), potentially leading to decreased P concentrations. This study aimed to evaluate the different P fractions in soils from Paraguay Central Chaco under pristine and anthropogenic conditions. A randomized complete block design was utilized with two treatments (pristine and anthropogenic usage). Thirty-four composite soil samples were collected from the region at the layer of 0.00-0.20 m, followed by chemical fractionation of P into labile, moderately labile, and non-labile […]

ABSTRACT Grasses of the Brachiaria genus are widely used as cover crops in no-tillage areas of the Brazilian Cerrado. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of six Brachiaria cultivars to produce shoot and root biomass, and the potential of the root system to grow through a 0.01 m thick wax layer with 1.5 MPa penetration resistance. The plants were grown in PVC columns with a diameter of 0.1 m and a height of 0.7 m. The column was divided […]