Abstract
ABSTRACT The expansion of the sugarcane industry in Brazil has intensified the mechanization of agriculture and caused effects on the soil physical quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the limiting water range and soil bearing capacity of a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico (Rhodic Hapludox) under the influence of different tractor-trailers used in mechanical sugarcane harvesting. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with five replications. The treatments consisted of green sugarcane harvesting with: harvester without trailer (T1); harvester with two trailers with a capacity of 10 Mg each (T2); harvester with trailer with a capacity of 20 Mg (T3) and harvester and truck with trailer with a capacity of 20 Mg (10 Mg per compartment) (T4). The least limiting water range and soil bearing capacity were evaluated. The transport equipment to remove the harvested sugarcane from the field (trailer) at harvest decreased the least limiting water range, reducing the structural soil quality. The truck trailer caused the greatest impact on the soil physical properties studied. The soil load bearing capacity was unaffected by the treatments, since the pressure of the harvester (T1) exceeded the pre-consolidation pressure of the soil.
Highlights
In Brazil, sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) has a considerable historical socio-economic significance
The variations in matric potentials at the critical limits corresponding to field capacity (-0.01 MPa), aeration porosity of 10 m3 m-3, the permanent wilting point (-1.5 MPa), and penetration resistance of 2.0 MPa were recorded for each value of bulk density in the treatments evaluated at depths of 0.10-0.20 m (Figure 1)
Trailers have a negative effect on the soil physical properties, reducing the least water range and increasing load-bearing capacity
Summary
In Brazil, sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) has a considerable historical socio-economic significance. The second growing season tends to be shortened (Severiano et al, 2009), which leads to traffic of harvest machines at high soil water content. This situation of shortened late seasons is more characteristic in regions where rainfall is more evenly distributed throughout the year. In these areas, traffic on soil at unsuitable levels of water content has promoted compaction by affecting the physical quality and resulted in drawbacks for plant growth and development, diminishing yields over the years (Souza et al, 2006). The compressibility curve can be proposed as an indicator of the soil physical quality, which can be used to minimize soil physical degradation, since it can show changes in the soil structure (Dias Junior and Pierce, 1996)
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