Abstract
Soil structure is modify when subjected to the agricultural process, i.e., a new spatial organization of the pores system is formed, with relation to the physical quality of it. Thus the aim of this work was to visualize and quantify, through X-ray CT scan, the pores distribution in an oxidic Latosol submitted to a conservation management system with different gypsum doses. Three random trenches were dug lengthwise along the plant row in a very clayey gibbsitic dystrophic Red Latosol, subjected to the following gypsum levels: G0: absence of gypsum; G7: 7 Mg ha-1 and G28: 28 Mg ha-1 of additional gypsum, applied to the surface of the plant row. Undisturbed soil samples were collected in plexiglass tubes at depths of 0.20-0.34, 0.80-0.94 and 1.50-1.64 m after six years of coffee cultivation for quantification of 3D pores obtained by X-ray CT scan. The spatial variability of the soil structure was evaluated by semivariograms generated by 3D images in grayscale. Distribution of the detectable pore diameter was conducted by data mining. Statistical analyzes employed packages 'geoR' to semivariogram and 'randomForest' for data mining in R language. A greater spatial continuity of the pores occurred in the G7 at the three depths. The combined effects of the management system promoted a greater spatial variability of the soil structure in the G28 treatment. Based on geostatistical analyses, it can be infer that the adoption of the system under study promoted changes in the pore network in all directions (X, Y and Z), however with better pores continuity in the vertical direction(Z).
Highlights
The management of agricultural systems affects the soil physical attributes and the pore spatial organization, which justifies studies that seek to evaluate soil structural quality
Agents of the blocky structure predisposing them to the formation of smaller and more rounded granules (Ferreira, Fernandes; Curi,1999; Vidal-Torrado et al 1999), which results in a high total porosity, especially of inter-aggregate pores (Cooper; Vidal-Torrado, 2005), which are altered by soil management (Oliveira et al 2004; Severiano et al 2013). In these Latosols, when subjected to agricultural management systems, the inter-aggregate pores are seriously affected by the first few passes of machinery, given its high susceptibility to compaction (Severiano et al 2013.) any alteration made by anthropic factors should be evaluated, among other purposes, to detail the possible causes of spatial pore variability (Munkholm; Heck; Deen, 2012; Luo; Lin; Li, 2010)
The spatial variability structure was defined (Goovaerts et al 1999), as well as the parameters necessary to estimate its characteristics (Figures 2-10). This assessment was needed to verify the spatial dependence of the structural components in each level combination (3 treatments x 3 depths x 3 directions) obtained through the axes(X, Y and Z) of the 3D images. This allowed the identification of alterations promoted by the management system in question
Summary
The management of agricultural systems affects the soil physical attributes and the pore spatial organization, which justifies studies that seek to evaluate soil structural quality. Agents of the blocky structure predisposing them to the formation of smaller and more rounded granules (Ferreira, Fernandes; Curi,1999; Vidal-Torrado et al 1999), which results in a high total porosity, especially of inter-aggregate pores (Cooper; Vidal-Torrado, 2005), which are altered by soil management (Oliveira et al 2004; Severiano et al 2013) In these Latosols, when subjected to agricultural management systems, the inter-aggregate pores are seriously affected by the first few passes of machinery, given its high susceptibility to compaction (Severiano et al 2013.) any alteration made by anthropic factors should be evaluated, among other purposes, to detail the possible causes of spatial pore variability (Munkholm; Heck; Deen, 2012; Luo; Lin; Li, 2010). Within the principles of conservation agriculture (Raij, 2008), this system provides conditions that enhance the coffee root system performance, so that there are improvements in the utilization of the available water at depth and efficient use of nutrients distributed in the soil profile (Serafim et al 2011)
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