Abstract
Viticulture is an activity of great social and economic importance in the lower-middle region of the Sao Francisco River valley in northeastern Brazil. In this region, the fertility of soils under vineyards is generally poor. To assess the effects of organic and nitrogen fertilization on chemical properties and nitrate concentrations in an Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (Typic Plinthustalf), a field experiment was carried out in Petrolina, Pernambuco, on Syrah grapevines. Treatments consisted of two rates of organic fertilizer (0 and 30 m3 ha-1) and five N rates (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 kg ha-1), in a randomized block design arranged in split plots, with five replications. The organic fertilizer levels represented the main plots and the N levels, the subplots. The source of N was urea and the source of organic fertilizer was goat manure. Irrigation was applied through a drip system and N by fertigation. At the end of the third growing season, soil chemical properties were determined and nitrate concentration in the soil solution (extracted by porous cups) was determined. Organic fertilization increased organic matter, pH, EC, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, sum of bases, base saturation, and CEC, but decreased exchangeable Cu concentration in the soil by complexation of Cu in the organic matter. Organic fertilization raised the nitrate concentration in the 0.20-0.40 m soil layer, making it leachable. Nitrate concentration in the soil increased as N rates increased, up to more than 300 mg kg-1 in soil and nearly 800 mg L-1 in the soil solution, becoming prone to leaching losses.
Highlights
Viticulture is an activity of great social and economic importance in the lower-middle region of the São Francisco River valley in northeastern Brazil
Treatments consisted of two rates of organic fertilizer (0 and 30 m3 ha-1) and five N rates (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 kg ha-1), in a randomized block design arranged in split plots, with five replications
Given the importance of organic matter in building and maintaining soil fertility as it influences numerous soil properties and being N management important to balance the N release from fertilizers, plant uptake and nitrate losses, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of organic and N fertilization on chemical properties and nitrate concentrations in a vineyard soil with ‘Syrah’ grapevine, after three production cycles
Summary
Viticulture is an activity of great social and economic importance in the lower-middle region of the São Francisco River valley in northeastern Brazil. Apart from irrigation, vine cultivation in the semiarid region requires soil management techniques, fertilization, canopy management, and pest and disease control (Leão and Soares, 2009). Continual use of fertilizers and pesticides, for control of fungal vine diseases, can result in nutrient accumulation in the soil, causing contamination by metals such as Cu (Casali et al, 2008; Komárek et al, 2008). Soil fertility in vineyards in the lower-middle São Francisco River valley is generally low, characterized by low levels of organic matter (around 10 g kg-1), resulting in low N and P levels. The same authors reported that winegrowers in the region apply about 20 to 60 m3 ha-1 of goat manure, corresponding to 100 to 400 kg ha-1 N per crop cycle, contributing to an increase in organic matter and other nutrients in these soils
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