To run a consolidation test, it is necessary to use a consolidometer. This equipment, however, had not been produced and sold in Brazil until some years ago. Non-automatic models available for import, although of low cost, are nevertheless rustic and need continuous calibration of pressure levels during the consolidation test. The exclusiveness and intervention of a technician throughout the test, associated with the precarious acquisition of data in these models, are still major factors that have made consolidation of this […]

The mechanisms of stabilization of organic matter (OM) have been studied in Brazilian tropical and subtropical soils; however, few studies have evaluated the influence of the methodological part of the use of the solutions in the results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of two salt solutions (1.8 kg dm-3 sodium iodide – NaI, and 2.0 kg dm-3 sodium polytungstate – SPT) in separation of densimetric soil organic matter (SOM) fractions in two soils (Acrisol from […]

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 […]

Humic substances are the major components of soil organic matter. Among the three humic substance components (humic acid, fulvic acid, and humin), humin is the most insoluble in aqueous solution at any pH value and, in turn, the least understood. Humin has poor solubility mainly because it is tightly bonded to inorganic soil colloids. By breaking the linkage between humin and inorganic soil colloids using inorganic or organic solvents, bulk humin can be partially soluble in alkali, enabling a better […]

Soil compaction is one of the main degradation causes, provoked by inappropriate agricultural practices that override the limitations of the soil physical properties. Preconsolidation pressure and penetration resistance have proved effective as alternative to assess and identify soil compaction. Based on the interpretation of these physico-mechanical parameters, compaction can be prevented with a better adjusted soil management. This study was performed to generate preconsolidation pressure and penetration resistance models for Latososlo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico (Oxisol) under various managements and uses; and […]

Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLs) are a viable strategy for the recovery and maintenance of soil characteristics. In the present study, an ICL experiment was conducted by the Instituto Agronômico do Paraná in the municipality of Xambre, Parana (PR), Brazil, to evaluate the effects of various grazing intensities. The objective of the present study was to quantify the levels of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil enzymatic activity in an ICL of soybean (summer) and Brachiaria ruziziensis (winter), with B. ruziziensis […]