Produtividade do milho em resposta à aplicação de nitrogênio e inoculação das sementes com Azospirillum spp Corn produntivity in response to nitrogen application and seed inoculation with Azospirillum spp

Em experimento de campo, nas condições de plantio direto em Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico de fertilidade média a alta, foram testados para o milho (Zea mays, cv. G-159 S da Ciba Sementes) no período de outubro/1997 a março/1998, o aumento de produtividade de grãos, o comprimento de espiga, a altura de plantas e o número de linhas de grão por espiga, por conseqüência da inoculação das sementes com o produto biotecnológico comercial denominado "Graminante", à base de Azospirillum spp. Os tratamentos consistiram em ausência e presença de inoculação de "Graminante", com e sem aplicação de nitrogênio tanto, da semeadura (70 kg ha-1) como em cobertura (70 kg ha-1) consistindo, deste modo, numa distribuição fatorial 2 x 2 x 2, em quatro repetições. A inoculação do "Graminante" aumentou significativamente a produtividade média de grãos, de 5211 para 6067 kg ha-1, ou seja, aumento de 17%, e aumentou o comprimento médio das espigas, de 13,6 para 14,4 cm; a inoculação do "Graminante" não teve efeito sobre o número de linhas de grão por espiga e altura de plantas. A aplicação de nitrogênio na semeadura e/ou em cobertura, não causou efeito sobre a produtividade do milho.<br>An evaluation of corn productivity, cob length, plant height and number of corn lines on the cob as a result of nitrogen application and seed inoculation with Azospirillum spp. ("Graminante") was conducted from October 1997 to March 1998. The experiment was carried out on a high fertility Oxisol using Zea mays L. cv. G-1595 (Ciba) under no-tillage in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design representing application and non-application of nitrogen at planting (70 kg ha-1), application and non-application of broadcast nitrogen (70 kg ha-1) and presence or absence of seed inoculation with four replications. Results showed that with seed inoculation the corn productivity increased by 17% (from 5211 to 6067 kg ha-1) while corn cob length increased from 13.6 to 14.4 cm. On the other hand, no significant effects on the number of corn lines on the cob and on plant height were observed. Likewise, corn productivity was not affected by nitrogen addition either during planting or applied as broadcast

Carbon sequestration in clay and silt fractions of Brazilian soils under conventional and no-tillage systems

The capacity of soils to sequestrate carbon (C) is mainly related to the formation of organo-mineral complexes. In this study, we investigated the influence of soil management systems on the C retention capacity of soil with an emphasis on the silt and clay fractions of two subtropical soils with different mineralogy and climate. Samples from a Humic Hapludox and a Rhodic Hapludox, clayey soils cultivated for approximately 30 years under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) were collected from six layers distributed within 100-cm soil depth from each site and from an adjacent native forest. After the removal of particulate organic matter (POM), the suspension (<53 μm) was sonicated, the silt and clay fractions were separated in accordance with Stokes' law and the carbon content of whole soil and physical fractions was determined. In the Humic Hapludox, the clay and silt fractions under NT showed a higher maximum C retention (72 and 52 g kg−1, respectively) in comparison to those under CT (54 and 38 g kg−1, respectively). Moreover, the C concentration increase in both fractions under NT occurred mainly in the topsoil (up to 5 cm). The C retention in physical fractions of Rhodic Hapludox varied from 25 to 32 g kg−1, and no difference was observed whether under an NT or a CT management system. The predominance of goethite and gibbsite in the Humic Hapludox, as well as its exposure to a colder climate, may have contributed to its greater C retention capacity. In addition to the organo-mineral interaction, a mechanism of organic matter self-assemblage, enhanced by longer periods of soil non-disturbance, seems to have contributed to the carbon stabilization in both soils