ABSTRACT Chemical control of weeds is an effective method used in planted forests and in forest restoration, which plays an important role in development of forest seedlings and reduces costs of intervention. However, when this strategy is not properly applied, it may have negative impacts on soil organisms and on the ecological processes in which they take part. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of herbicide use on soil biota through sampling of the soil fauna […]

ABSTRACT Population growth increases the need for food production, coupled in may cases with the indiscriminate use of fertilizers and incorporation of transgenic plants in the production system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cadmium on the growth of Bt transgenic corn and non-transgenic corn, inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi under controlled conditions. For that purpose, an experiment was set up in a 5 × 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with five Cd rates (0, 28.5, […]

ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a highly mycotrophic crop, and prior soil cover may affect the density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs), as well as the composition of the AMFs community in the soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and the structure of AMFs communities in cassava grown after different cover crops, and the effect of the cover crop on mineral nutrition and cassava yield under an organic farming system. The occurrence and structure […]

ABSTRACT The large production of sewage sludge (SS), especially in large urban centers, has led to the suggestion of using this waste as fertilizer in agriculture. The economic viability of this action is great and contributes to improve the environment by cycling the nutrients present in this waste, including high contents of organic matter and plant nutrients. This study evaluated the chemical and biochemical properties of Dystrophic and Eutroferric Latossolos Vermelhos (Oxisols) under corn and after SS application at different […]

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) may benefit from biological N 2 fixation, but inconsistent responses of the crop to rhizobium inoculation indicate the need for supplemental mineral N fertilization. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the response of the common bean crop to rhizobium inoculation in association with supplemental mineral N in the Cerrado (Brazilian tropical savanna) and Atlantic Forest biomes. Four field experiments were carried out, two in Santo Antônio de Goiás (State of Goiás), one in Valença […]

Plant species that naturally occur in the Brazilian Caatinga (xeric shrubland) adapt in several ways to these harsh conditions, and that can be exploited to increase crop production. Among the strategic adaptations to confront low water availability, desiccation tolerance stands out. Up to now, the association of those species with beneficial soil microorganisms is not well understood. The aim of this study was to characterize Tripogon spicatus diazotrophic bacterial isolates from the Caatinga biome and evaluate their ability to promote […]

Many forested areas have been converted to intensive agricultural use to satisfy food, fiber, and forage production for a growing world population. There is great interest in evaluating forest conversion to cultivated land because this conversion adversely affects several soil properties. We examined soil microbial, physical, and chemical properties in an Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico) of southern Brazil 24 years after forest conversion to a perennial crop with coffee or annual grain crops (maize and soybeans) in conventional tillage or […]

Preharvest burning is widely used in Brazil for sugarcane cropping. However, due to environmental restrictions, harvest without burning is becoming the predominant option. Consequently, changes in the microbial community are expected from crop residue accumulation on the soil surface, as well as alterations in soil metabolic diversity as of the first harvest. Because biological properties respond quickly and can be used to monitor environmental changes, we evaluated soil metabolic diversity and bacterial community structure after the first harvest under sugarcane […]

Products from mining operations are of great economic importance to the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. However, due to the extensive damage they may cause to biota, including soil fauna, recovery and biomonitoring of these areas and their surroundings are necessary. Considering the ecological importance of earthworms and their potential as bioindicators, the aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of arsenic to earthworms of the species Eisenia andrei Bouché in soils around gold mining operations in the […]

Tin mining in the Serra da Onça in the Jamari National Forest, State of Rondônia, Brazil, caused severe chemical, physical, and biological changes in the soil. In 1997, the area was divided into plots and a rehabilitation program was begun, which consisted of land surface modeling, construction of terraces, liming, fertilization, and planting of leguminous crops and native plants. In subsequent years, new plots were set up in the rehabilitation program so that at the time of sampling the different […]