Soil quality indicators such as penetration resistance (PR) and bulk density (BD) are traditionally determined in a single undisturbed soil sample. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of PR measurements of undisturbed samples on the determination of BD in the same sample of two soils differing in clay contents. To this end, samples were collected from the 0.00-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m layers of two soils of clayey and very clayey texture. Volumetric rings were used to […]

Due to its analytical practicality, the SMP buffer solution method has been widely used in Brazilian soil laboratories in estimation of soil potential acidity (H+Al) instead of the extracted by 0.5 mol L-1 calcium acetate solution. However, regionalized studies are indispensable for reliably estimating values of potential acidity. The aim of this study was to fit a regression equation with good predictive capacity of the H+Al values based on measurement of the pH(SMP) for soils of the State of Paraiba, […]

The application of pig slurry rates and plant cultivation can modify the soil phosphorus (P) content and distribution of chemical species in solution. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the total P, available P and P in solution, and the distribution of chemical P species in solution, in a soil under longstanding pig slurry applications and crop cultivation. The study was carried out in soil columns with undisturbed structure, collected in an experiment conducted for eight years in […]

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moech is an important high production forage crop that is increasingly used in Brazil, though still slow in replacing growing of second crop maize. Growing sorghum during the dry season would be an alternative for silage production and its use in the rainy season. However, plant growth and development will be affected if alterations occur in the texture, porosity, and structure of the soil. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variability and linear […]

Analysis of the soil pore system represents an important way of characterizing soil structure. Properties such as the shape and number of pores can be determined through soil pore evaluations. This study presents a three-dimensional (3D) characterization of the shape and number of pores of a sub-tropical soil. To do so, a second generation X-ray microtomograph equipped with a plain type detector was employed. A voltage of 120 kV and current of 80 mA was applied to the X-ray tube. […]

In Brazil, grazing mismanagement may lead to soil and pasture degradation. To impede this process, integrated cropping systems such as silvopasture have been an effective alternative, allied with precision agriculture based on soil mapping for site-specific management. In this study, we aimed to define the soil property that best sheds light on the variability of eucalyptus and forage yield. The experiment was conducted in the 2011/12 crop year in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. We […]

The use of treated industrial wastewater in flood irrigation of rice may cause electrochemical changes and increase the nutrient content in the soil solution. To test this hypothesis, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the dynamics of the chemical and electrochemical properties of the soil solution under flooded rice irrigated with treated industrial leachate containing 820 mg L-1 of Na. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using pots filled with 20 kg of soil in a […]

The use of no-tillage systems associated with the use of cover crops and crop rotation changes some soil physical properties and may indicate change in soil quality. This study aimed to use the aggregate stability index (IEA) and the sensitivity index (SI) to assess changes in soil physical attributes with the use of different plant cover after twelve years of no-tillage. We used a randomized block design with the following types of cover crops: sunn hemp, millet, sorghum, brachiaria, and […]

The olive tree is a temperate climate plant, whose fructification requires low temperatures before flowering. The production of good quality seedling material is essential for establishing an orchard, and association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can be very important in this respect. In Brazil, there are no studies related to the use of AMF in olive seedling production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the use of different AMF species on the development of seedlings […]

Soil compaction has been recognized as a severe problem in mechanized agriculture and has an influence on many soil properties and processes. Yet, there are few studies on the long-term effects of soil compaction, and the development of soil compaction has been shown through a limited number of soil parameters. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the persistence of soil compaction effects (three traffic treatments: T0, without traffic; T3, three tractor passes; and T5, five tractor passes) on […]