The soil-plant interface in Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa subjected to different doses of nitrogen in rotational grazing

Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar los efectos de tres dosis de nitrógeno (N) en las características morfogénicas y estructurales, la masa (MR) y la distribución de las raíces en el perfil del suelo, y la resistencia del suelo a la penetración de las pasturas de guinea Mombasa manejados con pastoreo rotacional. El diseño experimental utilizó bloques al azar con tres dosis de N (100, 200 y 300 kg ha-1) y tres repeticiones. El criterio para interrumpir el rebrote de los pastos fue la altura de 80 a 90 cm del dosel (90-95 % de intercepción de luz por el dosel). Los animales fueron retirados de los potreros cuando el dosel alcanzó el 50 % de la altura prepastoreo. Se evaluó la masa y acumulación del forraje, las características morfogénicas y estructurales del dosel, la MR y distribución en el perfil del suelo, y la resistencia del suelo a la penetración. En pastos fertilizados con 200 y 300 kg ha-1 de N, se observó la mayor aparición foliar (0.090 hojas macollo-1 día-1 y 0.081 hojas macollo-1 día-1), tasas de alargamiento (2.82 y 2.61 cm macollo-1 d-1) y mayor acumulación diaria de forraje (113.8 y 106.6 kg ha-1d-1). El uso de 300 kg ha-1 de N promovió una mayor resistencia del suelo a la penetración a 10 cm de profundidad en el pospastoreo (3.3 MPa). No se observó ningún efecto de las dosis de N en la MR (P>0.05). Por lo tanto, el control de la altura antes y después del pastoreo de los animales en los potreros ayudó a mantener la estructura del pasto y evitar el proceso de compactación del suelo.  De acuerdo con los resultados, se concluye que 200 y 300 kg ha-1 de fertilización con N es una estrategia para intensificar los pastos.This work aimed to evaluate the effects of three nitrogen (N) doses on the morphogenic and structural characteristics, root mass (RM) and distribution in the soil profile, and penetration soil resistance of Mombasa guineagrass pastures managed with rotational stocking. The experimental design used randomized blocks with three N doses (100, 200, and 300 kg ha-1) and three replicates. The criterion for interrupting the pastures’ regrowth was the height of 80 to 90 cm of the canopy (90–95 % of light interception by the canopy). The animals were removed from the paddocks when the canopy reached 50 % of the pre-grazing height. Forage mass and accumulation, canopy morphogenic and structural characteristics, RM and distribution in the soil profile, and soil resistance to penetration were evaluated. In pastures fertilized with 200 and 300 kg ha-1 of N, the highest leaf appearance  (0.090 and 0.081 leaves-1 tiller-1 d-1),  elongation rates (2.82 and 2.61 cm tiller-1 d-1) and highest daily forage accumulation (113.8 and 106.6 kg ha-1d-1) were observed. Using 300 kg ha-1 of N promoted greater soil resistance to penetration at 10 cm of depth in the post-grazing (3.3 MPa). No effect of N doses was observed for RM (P>0.05). The pre- and post-grazing height control of animals in the paddocks therefore helped to maintain the pasture structure and avoid the soil compaction process. According to the results, it is concluded that 200 and 300 kg ha-1 of N fertilization is a strategy for intensifying pastures

Beef cattle performance in response to Ipyporã and Marandu brachiariagrass cultivars under rotational stocking management

ABSTRACT The objective of this two-year study was to evaluate live weight gain per animal and per area and their relationships with the characteristics of BRS Ipyporã (Brachiaria ruziziensis × Brachiaria brizantha) and Marandu (Brachiaria brizantha) pastures. A completely randomized block design was used with two treatments and four replicates. The grazing method was rotational stocking, with variable stocking rate. Stocking rate was adjusted twice a week during the grazing period (six or seven days) and post-grazing canopy height target of 15 cm. Animals were weighed every 28 days. Pastures were evaluated pre-grazing to estimate forage accumulation rate, forage mass (FM), leaf (LP) and stem (SP) percentages, and nutritive value. In the post-grazing, FM, LP, and SP were evaluated. Marandu palisadegrass pastures had greater FAR, pre-grazing FM, and hence, a greater SR when compared with BRS Ipyporã. However, compared with Marandu, BRS Ipyporã showed greater LP, leaf:stem ratio, crude protein, and in vitro organic matter digestibility, resulting in greater individual live weight gain. The lesser stocking rate in Ipyporã pastures was compensated, providing a greater individual live weight gain of steers, resulting in a similar live weight gain per area for the two cultivars. Thus, BRS Ipyporã is a good alternative for the diversification of pastures in the Cerrado region

Beef cattle performance in response to Ipyporã and Marandu brachiariagrass cultivars under rotational stocking management

The objective of this two-year study was to evaluate live weight gain per animal and per area and their relationships with the characteristics of BRS Ipyporã (Brachiaria ruziziensis × Brachiaria brizantha) and Marandu (Brachiaria brizantha) pastures. A completely randomized block design was used with two treatments and four replicates. The grazing method was rotational stocking, with variable stocking rate. Stocking rate was adjusted twice a week during the grazing period (six or seven days) and post-grazing canopy height target of 15 cm. Animals were weighed every 28 days. Pastures were evaluated pre-grazing to estimate forage accumulation rate, forage mass (FM), leaf (LP) and stem (SP) percentages, and nutritive value. In the postgrazing, FM, LP, and SP were evaluated. Marandu palisadegrass pastures had greater FAR, pre-grazing FM, and hence, a greater SR when compared with BRS Ipyporã. However, compared with Marandu, BRS Ipyporã showed greater LP, leaf:stem ratio, crude protein, and in vitro organic matter digestibility, resulting in greater individual live weight gain. The lesser stocking rate in Ipyporã pastures was compensated, providing a greater individual live weight gain of steers, resulting in a similar live weight gain per area for the two cultivars. Thus, BRS Ipyporã is a good alternative for the diversification of pastures in the Cerrado regio

Levantamento pedológico e sistema de informações geográficas naavaliação do uso das terras em sub-bacia hidrográfica de Minas Gerais Pedologic survey and geographic information system for evaluation of land use within a small watershed, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

A aptidão agrícola das terras consiste em uma classificação técnica que identifica o potencial agrícola de utilização das mesmas, considerando as limitações do solo em níveis de manejo diferenciados a partir das informações geradas em um levantamento pedológico. O cruzamento dos dados de aptidão agrícola e uso atual das terras em ambiente SIG (Sistema de Informações Geográficas) consiste numa ferramenta adequada de planejamento, pois permite determinar a inadequação entre uso e aptidão agrícola, dando bases sustentáveis à exploração. Neste estudo, foram realizadas a avaliação da aptidão agrícola das terras e seu uso atual com auxílio de imagens de satélite e observações de campo, e a identificação de Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APPs) em uma sub-bacia hidrográfica da Bacia do Alto Rio Grande, MG. Com base no levantamento de solos, a utilização do sensoriamento remoto, por meio de imagens de satélites, aliado ao ambiente SIG, constituem-se em ferramentas adequadas para avaliação da aptidão agrícola e uso atual das terras, e permitem o monitoramento das áreas da sub-bacia hidrográfica. O levantamento pedológico forneceu uma base segura e real para que, com o auxílio de ferramentas de geoprocessamento, os mapas resultantes tivessem melhor qualidade e representassem com acurácia os diferentes ambientes naturais na paisagem da sub-bacia hidrográfica. Ocorreu o predomínio de usos da terra menos intensivos que os das classes de aptidão agrícola encontradas. As Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APPs) estão recebendo os mais diferentes usos agrícolas, caracterizando uma inadequação entre a legislação ambiental e o uso atual da terra.<br>The land agricultural suitability is a technical classification that identifies the agricultural potential of land use, considering the soil limitations at differential management levels from the information generated in a pedologic survey. The cross reference of data involving land agricultural suitability and land use in Geographical Information System (GIS) is an adequate tool for planning, because it allows to determine the inadequacy between land use and land agricultural suitability, giving bases to sustainable exploration. Therefore, we evaluated in this work the land agricultural suitability and the current use of the land mediated by satellite images and field observations, for the identification of permanent preservation areas (PPAs) in a small watershed from Alto Rio Grande basin - MG. Based on soil survey, the utilization of remote sensing, by means of satellite images, in association with GIS, constitutes adequate tools to evaluate the land suitability and current use, and allows monitoring areas of the small watershed. The pedologic survey supplied a secure and real basis for this purpose and with the help of geoprocessing tools, the resulting maps had better quality and represented with accuracy the different natural environments in the landscape of the hydrographic small watershed. We observed a dominance of less intensive land use in relation to the agricultural suitability classes found here. The permanent preservation areas (PPAs) are receiving a variety of agricultural uses, which characterizes an inadequacy between the environmental legislation and the current land use

Movimentação de nitrato e amônio em colunas de solo Nitrate and ammonium movement in soil columns

No sistema de plantio convencional, a prática anual de revolvimento do solo provoca alterações nas propriedades físicas, como diminuição da porosidade, modificação da estabilidade de agregados e destruição dos canais deixados pelo sistema radicular. No sistema de plantio direto, não há revolvimento do solo. Portanto, a aplicação de calcário, assim como de N, deve ser feita em superfície, em razão da impossibilidade de sua aplicação em profundidade. Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar a movimentação de NO- e NH+ em colunas de solo indeformado, com e sem aplicação de calcário. Conduzido em casa-de-vegetação, utilizaram-se tubos de PVC com 0,2 m de diâmetro e 0,2 m de comprimento. As amostras de um Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico típico de textura muito argilosa, localizado no campus da UFLA, foram retiradas do horizonte A (0-0,2 m) inde-formadas. A irrigação e a análise do lixiviado foram feitas diariamente. No lixiviado, foram medidos o NO- e o NH+ . As análises de nitrato foram feitas por dois métodos diferentes, sendo um pela redução do nitrito na coluna de Cd-Cu e o outro por um eletrodo seletivo; as análises de NH+ foram feitas pelo método do Nessler. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições. Mesmo com doses realistas de adubos nitrogenados (200 kg N ha') e em Latossolos muito argilosos, com moderados a altos teores de óxidos de Fe e gibbsita, a lixiviação de NO- é uma realidade.<br>In the conventional tillage, the annual practice of revolving the soil leads to modifications in the soil physical properties as decrease of the porosity, modification of aggregate stability and destroction of the channels left by the root system. In the no-till system, there is no revolving of the soil. Therefore, liming as well as nitrogen fertilization applied must be made on the surface due to impossibility of this application in depth. The objective of this work was to study the movement of NO-and NH+ in undisturbed soil columns, with and without liming application. The present study was carried out in the greenhouse using PVC tubes of 0.2 m of diameter and 0.2 m of length using a very clayey typical dystroferric Red Latosol, located in the UFLA campus. The undisturbed soil samples were taken in the A horizon (0-0.2 m). The irrigation and the analyses of the leached water were made daily. In the leached water, it were measured NO- and NH+ . The NO- analysis were done by two different methods. The first one is based on the NO- reduction to NO- in a Cd-Cu column. The second method used a selective electrode. The NH+ were done by the Nessler method. The experimental design was the complete randomized, with three replications. Even with usual doses of N (200 kg ha-1) amendments in a very clayey Latosols, with moderate to high Fe and Al oxide content, NO- leaching was observed

Suprimento do silicato de cálcio e a eficiência nutricional de variedades de cafeeiro Effect of calcium silicate suplly and the nutritional efficiency of coffee cultivars

Embora não seja considerado nutriente essencial às plantas, o Si é classificado como elemento benéfico ou útil, mas pode alterar a dinâmica nutricional das plantas. Objetivando comparar a eficiência nutricional de variedades de cafeeiro (Catuaí, Mundo Novo e Icatu) em resposta à adubação silicatada, realizou-se um experimento em blocos casualizados, com as três variedades de mudas em tubetes combinadas com seis doses de CaSiO3 (T0 = 0, T1 = 0,063, T2 = 0,125, T3 = 0,25, T4 = 0,5 e T5 = 1,0 g dm-3 de substrato). A variedade Icatu teve a maior eficiência de absorção (EA) de Cu, Zn, Fe e Si, maior eficiência de uso (EU) de N, K, Ca, B e Mn, não diferindo da Mundo Novo com relação aos nutrientes N, Ca e Mn, e maior eficiência de translocação (ET) de N, S, Zn e de Fe. A Catuaí teve maior EA de P, K, B e Mn, não diferindo da Mundo Novo com relação aos nutrientes P, K e Mn, maior EU para Mg, S, Cu, Zn, Fe e Si, provavelmente devido à melhor ET desses nutrientes, exceto para Fe e Si. A Mundo Novo foi mais eficiente na absorção de N, K, Ca, Mg, Mn e Si, teve maior EU de P e Mn e maior ET de K, Ca, B, Mn e Si.<br>Silicon is classified as a beneficial nutrient and can improve the nutritional dynamics of plants, although it is not considered an essential nutrient for plants. In an experiment in a randomized block design, three coffee cultivars (Catuaí, Mundo Novo and Icatu) were planted in plastic tubes, combined with six doses of calcium silicate (T0=0, T1=0.063, T2=0.125, T3=0.25, T4=0.5 and T5=1.0 g dm-3 substrate), to compare the nutritional efficiency of the cultivars in response to silicon fertilization. Cultivar Icatu showed the higher uptake efficiency (UE) of Cu, Zn, Fe, and Si, and efficiency of use (EU) of N, K, Ca, B, and Mn, but the later did not differ from Mundo Novo cultivar (N, Ca, and Mn). The efficiency of translocation (ET) was higher for N, S, Zn, and Fe. For Catuaí the uptake efficiency of P, K, B, and Mn was higher, but did not differ from Mundo Novo for P, K, and Mn. The Catuai's s efficiency of use for Mg, S, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Si was higher, probably because of a better ET of these nutrients, with exception of Fe and Si. The cultivar Mundo Novo was the most efficient in N, K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Si uptake, had the higher EU of P and Mn, and the highest ET of K, Ca, B, Mn, and Si