SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES IN AN INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK-FORESTRY SYSTEM

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in Eutrophic Red-Yellow Ultisol, and aimed to evaluate soil chemical properties in Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLF) in comparison to other types of soil use. The study assessed ICLF systems, monocultures of acacia (Acacia mangium), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla x E. grandis), Urochloa brizantha, Urochloa decumbens, Sorghum bicolor and Panicum maximum, with crop variations in three agricultural cycles in a 2 year period, in comparison to native vegetation, 8-year-old U. brizantha pasture and degraded pasture of P. maximum with exposed soil areas. In contrast to native forest and well-managed pastures and ICLF systems, contents of organic matter and calcium in the soil were lower in monocultures of eucalyptus, acacia and forage. The good fertility of the soil contributed to the total CEC, pH, K and Mg variables evaluated and these did not show any distinction between the environments analyzed. Soil organic matter and Ca contents were higher in native vegetation and managed pasture environments. These can be used in the evaluation of implemented systems ICLF few years before, in order to determine the feasibility of systems.