ABSTRACT Soil organic matter is an important primary source of nutrients for plants and influences infiltration, water retention, susceptibility to erosion, and soil aggregation. However, this process is conditioned on the quality and quantity of organic matter supplied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the environmental disaster caused by rain in areas of horticulture production in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. The following areas were selected: A1- no impact (control); A2 – totally […]

ABSTRACT The removal of thick layers of soil under native scrubland (Cerrado) on the right bank of the Paraná River in Selvíria (State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) for construction of the Ilha Solteira Hydroelectric Power Plant caused environmental damage, affecting the revegetation process of the stripped soil. Over the years, various kinds of land use and management systems have been tried, and the aim of this study was to assess the effects of these attempts to restore the […]

ABSTRACT Heavy metals contained in electronic waste, if discarded improperly, can become bioavailable after vermicomposting, posing a risk to the environment. Small-scale vermicomposting experiments were carried out with printed circuit boards (PCBs) to investigate the migration of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Sn) to the final compost, as well as the mobility and bioavailability of these metals. High total levels of Pb, Sn and Cu in samples of manure with electronic waste (MEW) and vegetables with electronic waste […]

ABSTRACT The agricultural use of sewage sludge and derivatives is to be carried out according to requirements established by Brazilian federal legislation and by legislation of the State of São Paulo, which requires that these organic materials must have at least 30 % of the total organic carbon degraded when incorporated in agricultural soils. To observe the degradation rates of sewage sludge and of organic compost produced from the same sewage sludge mixed with ground material from tree pruning, we […]

ABSTRACT The disposal of large amounts of coal mining waste chemically modifies the soil, and this may change the structure and activity of soil fauna. The objective of this investigation was to study the ecotoxicological effects of depositions of pyritic waste (coal plus pyrite) in two soils collected in Santa Catarina, Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (Ultisol) e Nitossolo Háplico (Hapludox), at the application rates of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 % of that residue. Survival and reproduction of Enchytraeus crypticus and […]

ABSTRACT High contents of plant-available selenium in the soil in the form of selenate, resulting from natural or anthropogenic action, jeopardizes agricultural areas and requires research for solutions to establish or re-establish agricultural or livestock operation, avoiding the risk of poisoning of plants, animals and humans. The purpose was to evaluate sulfur sources in the form of sulfate, e.g., ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate, ferric sulfate, in the remediation of tropical soils anthropogenically contaminated with Se under the tropical forage grass […]

ABSTRACT Greater nitrogen (N) cycling is sought through Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of early fertilization of nitrogen applied to ryegrass grazed by sheep on the nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) of summer crops in ICLS. This study was carried out in a long-term protocol managed in the winter under two stocking methods, continuous and rotational, and two grazing intensities, moderate and low, with four replications. In summer, the area was divided […]

ABSTRACT The impact of intensive management practices on the sustainability of forest production depends on maintenance of soil fertility. The contribution of forest residues and nutrient cycling in this process is critical. A 16-year-old stand of Pinus taeda in a Cambissolo Húmico Alumínico léptico (Humic Endo-lithic Dystrudept) in the south of Brazil was studied. A total of 10 trees were sampled distributed in five diameter classes according to diameter at breast height. The biomass of the needles, twigs, bark, wood, […]

ABSTRACT The combined incorporation of sewage sludge (SS) and oat straw (OS) to the soil can increase straw carbon mineralization and microbial nitrogen immobilization. This hypothesis was tested in two laboratory experiments, in which SS was incorporated in the soil with and without OS. One treatment in which only straw was incorporated and a control with only soil were also evaluated. The release of CO2 and mineral N in the soil after organic material incorporation was evaluated for 110 days. […]

ABSTRACT Production of Conilon coffee under organic management systems has increased in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. However, information is lacking in regard to the impact of these management practices on soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic fertilization on C and N stocks and soil bulk density (Bd) in a Conilon coffee agrosystem. A field experiment was carried out in Linhares, ES, in a randomized block design in […]