Resíduos vegetais na superfície do solo afetam a acidez do solo e a eficiência do herbicida flumetsulam Soil surface residues affect soil acidity and flumetsulam herbicid efficiency

Com o objetivo de avaliar o potencial de resíduos de duas espécies vegetais em alterar a acidez do solo e a atividade do herbicida flumetsulam, foi conduzido um experimento em casa de vegetação no Departamento de Solos da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, em novembro de 1998. Amostras da camada superficial (0-20cm) de um cambissolo húmico distrófico foram colocadas em vasos, com capacidade de 1,0kg, onde se aplicou na superfície: 0, 5 e 10t ha-1 de resíduos de aveia-preta e de ervilhaca comum, com e sem aplicação do herbicida. Utilizou-se aveia-branca como cultura reagente. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado com três repetições. O resíduo da ervilhaca aumentou o pH do solo e ambos os resíduos diminuíram o alumínio trocável na camada de 0-3cm de profundidade, sendo o efeito da ervilhaca mais pronunciado. O decréscimo do alumínio trocável foi relacionado a dois mecanismos: complexação pela matéria orgânica e aumento do pH. Os resíduos vegetais aplicados sobre a superfície do solo aumentaram a eficiência do herbicida flumetsulam, especialmente quando o herbicida foi aplicado sobre os resíduos da leguminosa, que teve maior efeito na elevação do pH do solo.<br>An experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Soils Department of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in November of 1998, to evaluate the potential of two crop residues to modify the acidity of the soil and the activity of the flumetsulam herbicide. The experimental units consisted of pots containing an Haplumbrept soil from the surface layer (0-20cm) in with it was applyed 0, 5 and 10t ha-1 of black oat and of common vicia residues, with and without the herbicide application in the soil surface, and arranged in a complete randomized design, with three replications. White oat was used as test culture. Vicia residues increase soil pH and both residues decreased exchangeable Al in the 0-3cm layer, with the effect of vicia being greater. The decrease of the exchangeable aluminum was related to both mechanisms: organic complexation and soil pH increase. Soil surface crop residues increased the herbicide efficiency, specially when this was applied over vicia residues, wich had greater increased in the soil pH

A distant reality? Democratic policing in Argentina and Brazil

Two decades after Argentina and Brazil emerged from repressive military rule, democratic controls over the state's instruments of coercion remain tenuous. This article argues that, notwithstanding obvious differences between the two countries, they share a common nucleus of problems that have shaped similar state responses to public insecurity, and that continue to hinder the development of the police into a professional, accountable and universal public service. After examining the historical, social and political roots that led to the extreme politicization of the police during authoritarian rule, the article highlights the factors that have negatively affected police governance and the institutionalization of checks and balances since the restoration of electoral democracy. The article concludes that the similarities found between the Argentine and Brazilian cases carry disturbing implications for the prospects of democratic consolidation in Latin America as a whole