HYDRO-PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THREE SOILS CONDUCTED UNDER NO-TILLAGE, MINIMUM CULTIVATION AND PERENNIAL PASTURE

Abstract

The use and management of different soil classes can change their physical quality and exert influence in the storage of water available to plants. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the use and management systems on the hydro-physical properties of Cambissolo, Latossolo and Nitossolo, and analyze the effect of such systems and soil classes in the fraction of plant available water. In 36 establishments of farmers in western region of Santa Catarina State samples were collected from these soil classes in crop-livestock integrated systems managed either under minimum cultivation (12 farms), no-tillage (12 farms) and perennial pastures (12 farms). The changes in physical and hydraulic attributes, due to the use and management did not compromise the physical quality of the soils from the Western of Santa Catarina State. The storage of water easily available was not affected by the use and management systems studied, but varied among the soil classes. The mean content of fraction of plant available water storage was 31.4 and 49.6% higher in Cambissolo, in comparison to Latossolo and Nitossolo, respectively, in minimum tillage management.