Land-Use Changes the Chemical and Physical Properties of an Oxisol in the Brazilian Cerrado

Raphael Xavier Costa ,Joaquim José Frazão,Valter Dos Santos Marques,Roriz Luciano Machado,Ana Paula Santos Oliveira ,Danielle Goeldner Pereira ,Leonardo Mariano Do Nascimento

doi:10.5539/jas.v12n9p181

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the effect of different land-uses on physical and chemical properties of Oxisols under cerrado conditions in central region of Goi&aacute;s, Brazil. The data were analysed in a randomized experimental design in a 4 &times; 3 factorial arrangement with five replications. The land-uses were: 1-Annual crops, 2-Pasture, 3-Sugarcane and 4-Native forest (control). The second factor consisted of three sampling depths: 0-0.05, 0.1-0.2 and 0.2-0.3 m. The physical attributes analysed were: total clay (TC), natural clay (NC), bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), total porosity (TP), degree of flocculation (DF), soil resistance to penetration (SRP), gravimetric water content (%GWC). Chemicals attributes analized: pH in water (pH), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), aluminium (Al), potential acidity (H+Al), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (T) and base saturation (V%). Annual crops showed higher K levels (0-0.3 m) and lower SOM values (0-0.3 m), Ca and Mg (0-0.05 m) affecting T in relation to the forest. The use sugarcane showed higher values of BD, PD and SRP, and smaller values of TP, SOM, P and T. On the other hand, the values of Ca and Mg are kept close to those of the control. The attribute V% is preserved for annual crops, sugarcane and pasture with values higher than those verified in native forest. The use pasture reduced TP and P and Ca, Mg and T. The land-uses studied reduced soil quality compared to the forest, in descending order were sugarcane &gt; annual crops &gt; pasture.

Highlights

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome in territorial extension, over which the largest conversion of native forest areas to agricultural and/or livestock activities has occurred in recent decades in Brazil
There was a significant interaction of land-use and depth factors for all physical and chemicals soil attributes except, natural clay (NC), degree of flocculation (DF) and pH with no significant differences for the treatments tested (Table 3)
The results found by the present study corroborate those of Tormena, Vidigal Filho, Gonçalves, Araújo and Pintro (2004) for total porosity (TP), being lower in the uses of cane, pasture and crops compared with the forest area

Summary

Introduction

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome in territorial extension, over which the largest conversion of native forest areas to agricultural and/or livestock activities has occurred in recent decades in Brazil This conversion has generated economic progress for this region, the inadequate use of the soil by these economic activities has accelerated the processes of soil degradation. Several authors have reported that changes in the use and management of Cerrado soils have promoted significant changes in chemical, physical and biological attributes (Hunke, Roller, Zeilhofer, Schröder, & Mueller, 2015; Silva et al, 2017; Bonetti, Paulinho, Souza, Carneiro, & Caetano, 2018; Lobato et al, 2018; Dias, Hübner, Nunes, Leandro, & Xavier, 2019) These changes in soil properties have been accelerated by the intensification of agricultural systems (Hunke, Mueller, Schröder, & Zeilhofer, 2014; Moklyachuk, Yatsuk, & Draga, 2015). The soils of this region, in general, have good natural fertility and good water retention capacity; they have undulating relief in large part, which hinders agricultural mechanization and favours the occurrence of water erosion

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion