Abstract
Understanding and quantifying the impact of soil management and use on its physical properties are essential to the development of sustainable agricultural systems. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of agricultural gypsum, soil scarification and succession planting on the physical attributes of dystrophic red-yellow latosol in Porto Velho, Rondônia state (RO), Brazil. The treatments used were absence and application of 2000 kg ha-1 of gypsum, absence and use of soil scarification, and three types of crop succession: SF (soybean/fallow), SMF (soybean/maize/fallow) and SMBF (soybean/maize/brachiaria/fallow). A randomized block design was used on eight blocks, for a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Soil parameters assessed were macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity, soil density, moisture content and penetration resistance. Data normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5% probability. The highest macroporosity and total porosity values were recorded in treatments with gypsum application and soil scarification. Penetration resistance was lower in the SMBF and SMF crop successions. There was no treatment effect on the soil density.
Highlights
IntroductionProper soil management aims to reconcile efficient production systems with the conservation of natural and especially nonrenewable resources; this cannot always be fully achieved because many agricultural practices significantly affect the environment (Carvalho, Goedert, & Armando, 2014)
Correct soil management is vital to optimum crop development
No-till and minimum tillage are recommended as management systems capable of recovering the natural structure of the soil, since limiting soil turning and the use of agricultural machinery associated with cover crops contributes to preserving or recovering soil structure
Summary
Proper soil management aims to reconcile efficient production systems with the conservation of natural and especially nonrenewable resources; this cannot always be fully achieved because many agricultural practices significantly affect the environment (Carvalho, Goedert, & Armando, 2014) Inadequate soil management, such as excessive tillage, can increase soil density and reduce macroporosity and total porosities (Soares, Campos, Oliveira, Cunha, & Santos, 2016), which may hamper crop development (Vitória, Fernandes, Texeira, & Cecon, 2014; Lamas, Ferreira, La Torre, & Staut, 2016). One of these is the introduction of forage grasses into soybean-maize succession systems (Brancalião & Moraes, 2008), since the root system of grasses may contribute to the formation of well-developed soil (Andrade, Stone, & Silveira, 2009) Another alternative is the application of gypsum on the surface, which contributes to reducing clay dispersion and thereby decreases subsurface compaction (Raij, 2008; Ramos et al, 2013). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of agricultural gypsum, soil scarification and succession planting on the physical attributes of dystrophic red-yellow latosol
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