Abstract
The response to agricultural gypsum, as a conditioner of the root environment in depth, has been observed for most annual crops. These responses are attributed to the better distribution of roots of the crops in depth in the soil by the reduction of chemical impediments, caused by the exchangeable aluminum and calcium deficiency in these layers, which allows to the plants the use of greater volume of water when they occur summer. In this way, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of gypsum doses on physical-hydric attributes, root growth and soybean productivity. The experiment was conducted at the Agronomic Institute of Paraná (IAPAR) in Santa Tereza do Oeste-PR. The soil was classified as Typic Haplortox. Five doses of agricultural gypsum were evaluated: 0; 3; 6; 9 and 12 t ha-1, in outline randomized block design with six repetitions. Soil density, total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity were evaluated at layers of 0.0-0.1; 0.1-0.2 and 0.2-0.3 m. Soybean productivity and root growth were also evaluated. Data were submitted to regression analysis. The physical attributes soil density, macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity did not differ significantly with the application of the gypsum doses in the 0.0-0.1 and 0.2-0.3 m layers. However, in the 0.1-0.2 m layer, due to pressures imposed by the machines and agricultural implements deforming the soil, there were significant differences in the physical attributes of the density, macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. There was no significant difference in grain productivity and root growth of soybean.
Highlights
In the western region of Paraná, soybeans stand out in the economic sector and a good part of the agricultural revenue in the region comes from the commerce of this culture
Soil density is the property representing the soil compaction state of the soil where, generally, in areas handled with no-tillage system (NTS) and agricultural gypsum, the highest values occur in the 0.1-0.2 m layer
The pressure imposed by agricultural machines and implements on the surface soils may negatively impact the root growth of soybeans
Summary
In the western region of Paraná, soybeans stand out in the economic sector and a good part of the agricultural revenue in the region comes from the commerce of this culture. The technology of using agricultural gypsum has been an important management strategy to aid in the production of grain, mainly as soil conditioner for the soybean crop. This technology proves to be feasible both socially and environmentally, and it allows in the field income generation in the rural property, reduction of agrochemicals, agricultural inputs that allied with the conservationist practice of the soil as the no-tillage propitiates improvement in the quality of the soil. Gypsum could be applied to acid soils to complement limestone to favor the root system growth and development in depth, because of its soil conditioning effects (Zhang, & Norton, 2002; Meurer, Rhenheimer, & Bissani, 2004)
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