Carbon indices to assess quality of management systems in a Subtropical Acrisol

Management systems to improve soil quality are essential for agricultural and environmental sustainability. We assessed the quality of soil management systems applied to a subtropical Acrisol in terms of the carbon management index (CMI), the stratification ratio for total organic carbon (SR-TOC) and light fraction of organic matter (SR-LF). In addition, we examined their relationship to chemical, physical and biological soil quality indicators, as well as to maize yield. The study was conducted on a long-term experiment (18 years) in southern Brazil involving two different systems [no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)], two cropping systems [black oat/maize (O/M) and black oat + vetch/maize + cowpea (OV/MC)] and two nitrogen fertilizer rates for maize (0 and 180 kg ha–1). Based on the three indices, the best managements for soil quality comprised NT (50-212 % better than CT), legume cover crops (10-47 % better than O/M) and N fertilization (8-33 % better than no fertilizer). All three indices proved accurate to assess the impact of soil management systems, especially SR-LF, which showed increased sensitivity and close relationships with chemical, physical and biological soil quality indicators. On the other hand, a poor relationship was observed between soil C indices and maize yield, which was improved only by legume cover crops and N fertilization. The results showed that the association of no-till system to an abundant supply of crop residues is key to ensure high soil quality and crop yields in humid subtropical regions

Soil, water and nutrient loss under conventional and organic vegetable production managed in small farms

Agricultural systems with conventional tillage and intensive use of agrochemicals, especially those on high slopes and with shallow soils, have the potential to release pollutants. This study aimed at evaluating the soil, water and nutrient lost via agricultural runoff in large plots (small catchments) under conventional and organic farming of vegetables as well as under forest (control) system in a Cambisol in the Campestre catchment. Samples of runoff were collected biweekly for one year through a Coshocton wheel. The soil and water losses from the conventional farming were 218 and 6 times higher, respectively, than forest. Under organic farming the soil and water losses were 12 and 4 times higher, respectively, than forest. However the soil losses (0.5 to 114 kg ha^(−1) year^(−1)) are considered low in agronomy but environmentally represent a potential source of surface water contamination by runoff associated pollutants. The concentrations and losses of all forms of phosphorus (P) were higher in the conventional system (9.5, 0.9 and 0.3 mg L^(−1) of total P for conventional, organic and forest systems, respectively), while the organic system had the highest concentrations and losses of soluble nitrogen (4.7, 38.6 and 0.4 mg L^(−1) of NO_3-N, respectively). The percentage of bioavailable P was proportionally higher in the organic system (91% of total P lost was as bioavailable P), indicating greater potential for pollution in the short term

Excretas de ovinos como fonte de óxido nitroso em pastagem de azevém no sul do Brasil

Livestock urine and dung are important components of the N cycle in pastures, but little information on its effect on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions is available. We conducted a short-term (39-day) trial to quantify the direct N2O-N emissions from sheep excreta on an experimental area of ryegrass pasture growing on a Typic Paleudult in southern Brazil. Four rates of urine-N (161, 242, 323, and 403 kg ha-1 N) and one of dung-N (13 kg ha-1 N) were applied, as well as a control plot receiving no excreta. The N2O-N emission factor (EF = % of added N released as N2O-N) for urine and dung was calculated, taking into account the N2O fluxes in the field, over a period of 39 days. The EF value of the urine and dung was used to estimate the emissions of N2O-N over a 90-day period of pasture in the winter under two grazing intensities (2.5 or 5.0 times the herbage intake potential of grazing lambs). The soil N2O-N fluxes ranged from 4 to 353 μg m-2 h-1. The highest N2O-N fluxes occurred 16 days after application of urine and dung, when the highest soil nitrate content was also recorded and the water-filled pore space exceeded 60 %. The mean EF for urine was 0.25 % of applied N, much higher than that for dung (0.06 %). We found that N2O-N emissions for the 90-day winter pasture period were 0.54 kg ha-1 for low grazing intensity and 0.62 kg ha-1 for moderate grazing intensity. Comparison of the two forms of excreta show that urine was the main contributor to N2O-N emissions (mean of 36 %), whereas dung was responsible for less than 0.1 % of total soil N2O-N emissions.Urina e fezes de ovinos são componentes importantes do ciclo do N em pastagens, mas pouco se sabe sobre o efeito desses nas emissões de óxido nitroso (N2O) para atmosfera. Um estudo foi conduzido para quantificar as emissões de N-N2O provenientes das excretas de ovinos sobre uma pastagem de azevém num Argissolo Vermelho Distrófico típico no sul do Brasil. Quatro doses de N-urina (161, 242, 323 e 403 kg ha-1 N) e uma de N-fezes (13 kg ha-1 N) foram aplicadas, além de um tratamento-controle sem aplicação de excretas. O fator de emissão de N-N2O (FE = % do N adicionado emitido na forma de N-N2O) foi calculado para urina e fezes, levando em consideração os fluxos de N2O determinados no período de 39 dias. Os FEs da urina e fezes foram utilizados para estimar as emissões de N-N2O num período de 90 dias da pastagem no inverno, sob duas intensidades de pastejo (2,5 e 5,0 vezes o potencial de consumo dos ovinos). Os fluxos de N-N2O variaram de 4 a 353 μg m-2 h-1. Os fluxos mais elevados de N-N2O ocorreram 16 dias após a aplicação da urina e das fezes, quando os teores mais elevados de nitrato ocorreram e a porosidade preenchida por água excedeu 60 %. O FE médio da urina foi 0,25 % do N aplicado, muito superior ao verificado para as fezes (0,06 %). Considerando o período de 90 dias de utilização da pastagem no inverno, estimou-se que a emissão de N-N2O foi de 0,54 kg ha-1 na intensidade de pastejo baixa e de 0,62 kg ha-1 na intensidade de pastejo moderada. Entre as excretas, a urina foi o principal contribuinte para a emissão de N-N2O (media de 36 %), enquanto as fezes foram responsáveis por menos do que 0,1 % das emissões totais de N-N2O do solo

O Nitrogênio afeta a produção e a composição botânica em pastagem de gramíneas consorciadas com leguminosas

Nitrogen affects directly pasture production in grasses. However, there is lack of information about nitrogen effect on the performance of cool season grass/legumes intercropped pastures. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of two levels of nitrogen fertilization on the production and botanical composition of a pasture constituted by black oat + ryegrass + vetch + arrow leaf clover. The work was conducted in three sites, one in Canoinhas and two in Major Vieira, Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, during 2006. Treatments were arranged in a randomized block design, with three replicates on each site. Two levels of nitrogen fertilization were evaluated: 0 and 100 kg ha-1. Nitrogen was applied when black had two tillers. The nitrogen rate of 100 kg ha-1 in pasture of black oat + ryegrass + vetch + arrow leaf clover increased forage production and grass participation in the botanical composition. There was an increase of vetch and arrow leaf clover contribution with the evolution of forage cycle.O nitrogênio é um nutriente que afeta diretamente a produção forrageira em gramíneas. Contudo, há falta de informações sobre seu efeito no desempenho de pastagens anuais de inverno formadas pelo consórcio de gramíneas e leguminosas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de dois níveis de nitrogênio sobre a produção e a composição botânica de pastagem formada pelo consórcio de aveia preta + azevém + ervilhaca + trevo vesiculoso. O trabalho foi conduzido em três locais, um no município de Canoinhas e dois em Major Vieira, SC, no ano de 2006. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com três repetições por local. Foram avaliados dois níveis de nitrogênio na pastagem anual de inverno: 0 e 100 kg ha-1, aplicados quando a aveia preta apresentava dois afilhos. A aplicação de 100 kg ha-1 de N em pastagem de aveia preta + azevém + ervilhaca + trevo vesiculoso aumentou a produção de forragem e a participação das gramíneas na composição botânica. Houve aumento da participação da ervilhaca e do trevo vesiculoso na composição forrageira com a evolução do ciclo da pastagem

PRODUTIVIDADE DO MILHO EM UM SISTEMA SILVIAGRÍCOLA NOS CAMPOS GERAIS, PR

Em sistemas silviagrícolas a produtividade de grãos pode ser afetada por vários fatores, o resultado pode ser nulo, de redução, ou, de aumento da produtividade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a produtividade do milho plantado soltei-ro e em integração com árvores espaçadas em 14m x 3m (silviagrícola), e detectar efeitos resultantes da interação entre arvo-res e lavoura no sistema silviagrícola estudado. A produtividade do milho (cultivar IPR-114) foi avaliada em três tratamentos com seis repetições e o incremento de madeira, durante o período de cultivo do milho, foi obtido com o auxílio de monitora-mento dendrométrico. Por meio da análise de variância não foi detectado efeito dos tratamentos (P>0,05) na produtividade do milho. A produtividade média de grãos foi de 4.247,9 ± 256,1 kg ha-1 para o milho solteiro e de 4.554,99 ± 409,9 kg ha-1 para o silviagrícola. No silviagrícola, o milho ocupou 71% da área enquanto que as árvores ocuparam 29%. A razão do efeito da interação entre os componentes lavoura e árvore foi de 6,7%, o que denota favorecimento do sistema silviagrícola para a produtividade do milho

Propriedades físicas em Cambissolo Háplico manejado sob o sistema integração lavoura-pecuária

Animal trampling is one of the major causes of soil compaction in areas subjected to integrated croplivestock system. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of winter annual pasture grazing, in crop-livestock system, and other winter soil uses on soil compaction. The experiment was carried out from May 2006 to February 2007 at three sites of the North Plateau of Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Five winter treatments were investigated on each site: 1) intercropping with black oat + ryegrass + vetch + arrow leaf clover without grazing and nitrogen fertilization (multicropping cover); 2) the same intercropping, with grazing and 100 kg ha-1 of nitrogen, (grazing with N); 3) the same intercropping, with grazing and without nitrogen fertilization (grazing without N); 4) oil seed radish, without grazing and nitrogen fertilization (oil seed radish); and 5) natural vegetation, without grazing and nitrogen fertilization (fallow). Undisturbed cores were collected from the layers 2 to 7 cm and 10 to 15 cm, at three times: experiments implantation (May 2006), at maize sowing in succession of winter soil use (November 2006) and close to maize physiological maturity (February 2007). Soil total porosity, bulk density and soil resistance to penetration were evaluated in these samples. According to the environmental and management conditions, as well as the time of experimentation, the livestock presence in winter pastures, winter cover crops and fallow did not affect the variables related to soil compaction.A presença de animais em áreas cultivadas sob o sistema integração lavoura-pecuária pode ocasionar compactação superficial do solo devido ao pisoteio. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de pastagem anual de inverno, sob o sistema integração lavoura-pecuária, e de outras formas de uso do solo no inverno na compactação do solo. Foi conduzido um experimento em três locais, de maio de 2006 a fevereiro de 2007, na região do Planalto Norte de Santa Catarina. Foram avaliados cinco tratamentos de inverno: 1) consórcio de aveia preta + azevém + ervilhaca + trevo vesiculoso manejado sem pastejo e sem adubação nitrogenada (consórcio cobertura); 2) o mesmo consórcio, com pastejo e com 100 kg ha-1 de N em cobertura (pastagem com N); 3) o mesmo consórcio, com pastejo e sem adubação nitrogenada (pastagem sem N); 4) nabo forrageiro, sem pastejo e sem adubação nitrogenada (nabo forrageiro); e 5) pousio, sem pastejo e sem adubação nitrogenada (pousio). Amostras de solo com estrutura preservada foram coletadas nas camadas de 2 a 7 cm e de 10 a 15 cm, na implantação do experimento (maio de 2006), na semeadura do milho cultivado em sucessão (novembro de 2006) e próximo à maturação fisiológica do milho (fevereiro de 2007). Nestas amostras determinaram-se a porosidade total, a densidade do solo e a resistência do solo à penetração. Sob as condições de ambiente e de manejo da pesquisa, não houve diferença entre a presença de bovinos em pastagem anual de inverno, o cultivo de coberturas invernais e o pousio para as variáveis relacionadas à compactação do solo

A“Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

International audienceAmazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre-Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre-Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high-fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia