Red-Yellow Argisol Research Articles

Floristic composition of weeds in a dystrophic Red-Yellow Argisol under the cultivation of cowpea, cv. BRS Novaera

Among the several factors that negatively influence cowpea culture, weeds have been responsible for the reduction of growth, development and productive performance of the crop, making it necessary to establish management strategies based on phytosociological studies of weed species in growing areas. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the floristic composition of weeds, aiming to identify the main species and their dynamics, and to consider their distribution in time and space as pertaining to the cultivation of a modern variety of cowpea, cv. BRS Novaera, in dystrophic Red-Yellow Argisol, in the Midnorth region of the state of Piauí, Brazil. The phytosociological survey of weeds was carried out in three sessions: the first one was immediately before the area was desiccated with glyphosate (15 days before sowing the cowpea), and the others were at 20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS). Following the quantification of species and number of individuals, the following phytosociological parameters were calculated: frequency and relative frequency; density and relative density; abundance and relative abundance; and importance value index. It was concluded that there were few changes in the floristic composition of the weed community according to the epoch of the phytosociological surveys. The main weed plants at 20 DAS of cowpea (vegetative phase) were Chamaesyce hirta, Digitaria insularis, Alternanthera tenella, Cleome affinis, Mollugo verticillata and Portulaca oleracea. At 40 days (reproductive phase), the weed species with a large establishment and acting as potential competitors with cv. BRS Novaera cowpea were Digitaria insularis, Chamaesyce hirta and Mollugo verticillata.

CURVA DE RETENÇÃO DE ÁGUA E CONDUTIVIDADE HIDRÁULICA DE TRÊS SOLOS SOB FRUTÍFERAS PERENES

As características físico-hídricas do solo representam grande importância no sistema solo-água-planta porque a umidade é um dos fatores que mais beneficia a produtividade das culturas agrícolas. Esta pesquisa objetivou avaliar o comportamento físico-hídrico do solo a partir da condutividade hidráulica e da curva de retenção de água no solo de três classes de solo sob pomar de frutíferas. Para esta avaliação físico-hídrica foram usadas amostras deformadas e indeformadas de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico (LVdf), Argissolo Vermelho-amarelo distrófico (PVAd) e Cambissolo Háplico Tb distrófico típico (CXbd). Foram determinados a densidade de partículas, densidade do solo, granulometria, volume total de poros, macro e microporosidade, estabilidade de agregados, condutividade hidráulica saturada e a curva de retenção de água no solo. Conclui-se que o K0 foi classificado para LVdf alta, o PVAd alta e CXbd baixa. O LVdf apresentou a K0 superior aos demais solos, em função de sua maior porosidade e menor índices de agregação.

Seed distribution by punch seeder in family farming

ABSTRACT Family farming seeks to use less-aggressive agricultural practices, however, there is little machinery available that is suitable for the reality of this sector. This has led to the use of technically incorrect practices, which have contributed to the impoverishment, compaction and desertification of agricultural soils. Punch seeders are seen as a promising alternative for carrying out sowing in family farming, as they employ localised seed distribution with less disturbance of the soil and the consequent preservation and conservation of its structure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of seed distribution by a punch seeder used in family farming. The experiment was carried out in a soil classified as a Red-Yellow Argisol. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the quality of seed distribution by the punch system. Statistical Process Control was adopted to evaluate quality control in the seed distribution process. The results showed that the performance of the punch seeder was similar to that of the precision pneumatic seeder, with 90.2% acceptable spacing. As demonstrated by the SPC study that showed the process to be compatible with quality standards, the punch seeder is therefore a viable alternative in the sowing process for family farming, since an improvement in sowing quality, with a precision of 88.4% was obtained. The punch system resulted in less soil disturbance when compared to the disc harrow and manual seeder, and proved to be an effective solution for conservation agriculture.

Cacao quality index for cacao agroecosystems in Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Brazil is increasingly committed to developing research on the quality of cacao. The objective of this work was to develop a new Cacao Quality Index (CQI) methodology with cacao industry, chocolate flavor, human health and food safety functions, and to show its results in different cacao agroecosystems from the humid region of Bahia. The typical Dystrophic Red-Yellow Argisol, in the cabruca cropping system with 35 shade trees per hectare, reached the highest CQI score. The lowest score obtained from the quality index cacao corresponded to the site characterized by the abrupt Dystrophic Red-Yellow Argisol, in the cabruca cropping system with 60 shade trees per hectare. All cropping sites obtained CQI values between 0.54 and 0.69 and were therefore classified as a regular index. The primary indicators that determined the differences between the highest and lowest CQI score were proteins, total free amino acids, simple carbohydrates (sucrose, fructose and glucose), total acidity, cadmium and barium.

FERTIGATION OF SUNFLOWER CROPS USING LANDFILL LEACHATE

ABSTRACT The use of landfill leachate (LL) to produce biomass for energy and biofuel purposes is an alternative that minimizes environmental degradation. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of using different rates of LL in the fertigation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crops. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with five treatments and four replications-20 experimental plots. The treatments consisted of control with 100% water from the water supply (WWS) (T1); 80% WWS + 20% LL (T2); 60% WWS + 40% LL (T3); 40% WWS + 60% LL (T4); and 20% WWS + 80% LL (T5). The sunflower crops were grown in a eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisol for 81 days, in Mossoró RN, Brazil. The plant characteristics evaluated-plant height, number of leaves, steam diameter and capitulum diameter-was determined. All variables evaluated presented statistical differences between treatments. In general, plants in the treatment 60% WWS + 40% LL presented better performance regarding the characteristics evaluated.

Impact of crop-livestock-forest integration on soil quality

Integrated agricultural production systems with trees, grain crops and forage species are important for land use optimization. However, they can result in non-uniform changes in physical and chemical soil properties. The objective of this work was to evaluate chemical and physical soil properties in a eucalyptus-based agroforestry system. The experiment was conducted in a Red–Yellow Argisol in Southeast Brazil. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis × E. camoldulensis) seedlings were planted in rows 12.0 m apart, and 2.0 m between plants. For 4 years the inter-row space was cropped to soybeans (Glycine max L. Merrill), Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and maize (Zea mays L.) in association with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha). After that, the forage was grazed by beef cattle. Five years after the implementation of the experiment, chemical and physical soil analyses were performed along the profile. Non-uniform changes were observed in fertility and soil physics in the transect between the eucalyptus planting lines, both at the soil surface layers and in depth. Integrated crop/livestock production systems, where eucalyptus is intercropped with annual crops and forage grasses for grazing, results in lower soil fertility near tree lines and up to 100 cm deep over time. Next to the tree line there is an increase in soil compaction and reduced aggregate stability in the uppermost soil layer, while microporosity and soil structuring are increased in the soil deeper layers. These effects are probably due to animal trampling under the trees.

Landfill leachate as nutritional source in castor bean cultivation under semi-arid conditions

ABSTRACT The relevance of using technology for the rational destination of waste from a wide range of human activities is imminently paramount. In this context, between September 2014 and January 2015, in Mossoró, RN, Brazil (5º 11' 31" S; 37º 20' 40" W), the present work was conducted to evaluate strategies for the utilization of landfill leachate as source of water and nutrients in agriculture. For this, castor bean plants (Ricinus communis L.), cv. BRS Energia, cultivated in eutrophic Red Yellow Argisol, were subjected to irrigation depth application strategies, namely: initial application of leachate corresponding to 20, 40, 60 and 80% of the irrigation depth and subsequent application of the remaining water depth percentage using public-supply water, plus one control, which consisted of irrigation with public-supply water + mineral fertilization recommended for the crop. These treatments were set in randomized blocks, with four replicates, totalizing twenty experimental plots. Mineral fertilization resulted in more expressive biometric responses at the beginning of the cycle; however, at the end, treatments based on leachate led to results, including of production, compatible with the control, especially plants irrigated with the 20% irrigation depth.

Evaluation of the Fenton process effectiveness in the remediation of soils contaminated by gasoline: Effect of soil physicochemical properties

The remediation of four different soils contaminated by gasoline was performed using Fenton processes. Herein, the effect of the main physicochemical characteristics of the soils in the Fenton performance is emphasized. Fenton processes were applied in a column system, with and without addition of soluble iron (II), using undisturbed soil samples collected in four regions of the Paraná State (Brazil). Two groups of contaminants were monitored during the remediation process: BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) and TRHs (total recoverable hydrocarbons). Superior degradation efficiencies were observed in the soils with elevated mineral iron content (Red Argisol, Red-Yellow Argisol and Red Latosol), while the soils with low iron content (Spodosol) presented comparable degradation efficiencies only in the presence of soluble Fe2+. Although the presence of mineral iron enabled the Fenton processes, a good correlation between the iron content and the degradation efficiency was not observed, suggesting a dependence on the chemical nature of the native iron. BTEX leaching was observed in all systems, suggesting that the process should be applied with caution, especially in soils with high drainage.

Soil quality index for cacao cropping systems

ABSTRACTThe soil quality index (SQI) for cacao cropping systems was developed to meet the nutritional criteria of the crop, the environmental safety of the cropping sites and the increasing demand for the production and quality of cocoa. Available water function (AWF), root growth function (RGF), mineral nutrition of plants function (MNF) and environmental safety function (ESF) for potentially toxic elements were included in the additive model of SQI for cacao cropping systems. In this study, over 66% of the cacao fields cropping sites were classified as regular SQI with a range of scores between 0.42 and 0.61. The field cropping site with the highest score (0.73) characterized as typic Alitic Red-Yellow Argisol was rated with high SQI. In contrast, the field cropping sites characterized as abrupt Cohesive Dystrophic Red-Yellow Argisol (0.29), typic Dystrophic Haplic Cambisol (0.39), and latosolic Dystrophic Yellow Argisol (0.40) were rated with low SQI. MNF and AWF were the functions that most contributed to the increase or decrease of SQI scores. The SQI adapted expressed the agro-environmental reality of cacao cropping systems of Bahia, Brazil, and this could be a versatile tool to subsidize the adequate soil management of cacao plantations around the world.

English

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of biochar produced from the pyrolysis of poultry litter feedstock in some of the physical properties of a Yellow Red Argisol eutrophic typical (Ultisol), located in the municipality Lagoa Seca, State of Paraiba, Brazil, that is, granulometric analysis, bulk density, porosity and available water capacity. Six doses of biochar (0; 10; 15; 20; 25 and 30 ton ha-1) were incubated into an Ultisol samples during 60 days. All assays were carried out in duplicate. After the incubation period, the soil samples were analyzed in relation to physical properties. The results of this study confirmed that the biochar prepared from the poultry litter improved these properties, that is, modified the granulometric analysis, led to a decrease in bulk density, an increase in total pore volume as well as an increase in water content mainly in matric potential 0.5065 MPa. The biochar dose, 30 ton ha-1 was better in soil density and porosity; in the water retention the best biochar dose was 15 ton ha-1; however, as the biochar effects on the physical properties were very small, it suggests to investigate larger amounts of this material in the application of the soils. Key words: Poultry litter, soil amendment, soil physical, porosity, bulk density.

Prevalence of Rhodococcus equi from the nasal cavity of 1010 apparently healthy horses.

Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of foal pneumonia. While its isolation from different sources has been widely evaluated, there is a need to better understand the R. equi epidemiology from samples of the nasal cavity of healthy horses. To determine the prevalence of R. equi from the nasal cavity of healthy horses, along with its virulence profile, antimicrobial susceptibility and environmental variables associated. Cross-sectional study. Swabs from the nasal cavity of 1010 apparently healthy horses from 341 farms were submitted for bacteriological analyses. The identity and virulence profile of the R. equi isolates were assessed by multiplex PCR; antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disk-diffusion method. The occurrence of R. equi was calculated at the level of both animal and farm. The association of seven specific environmental factors with R. equi isolation was assessed using logistic regression and by a spatial scan statistical method to determine the presence of local clusters. Antimicrobial-sensitive R. equi was isolated from 10 (1%) of 1010 horses ranging between 3 and 29 years old. Ten farms (3%) had at least one positive horse. Only one R. equi isolate (10%) was classified as virulent. Red-Yellow Argisol (PVA/PV) soils were significantly associated with R. equi isolation (odds ratio (OR) 8.02; CI95% , 1.98-32.50, P = 0.01), and areas with well-drained soil were less likely to be test positive (OR 0.85; CI95% , 0.76-0.96, P = 0.03). The use of culture-based method instead of PCR-based assay and the lack of soil sampling. Antimicrobial-sensitive R. equi may be considered a minor part of the normal bacterial flora in the nasal cavity of healthy and immunologically functional horses breeding on pasture. Further studies are warranted to determine if soils rich in iron and well-drained are, in fact, associated with the occurrence of R. equi.

Marketable yield of onion under different irrigation depths, with and without mulch

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to obtain the onion crop coefficients and evaluate the influence of different irrigation depths (0, 22, 45, 75 and 100% of crop evapotranspiration) on marketable yield and quality of onion bulbs cultivated with and without mulch of elephant grass. The experiment was carried out in Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, from May to September 2012, in a Red Yellow Argisol. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in split plots, with 10 treatments and seven replicates. Irrigation management was performed through soil water balance using the Time Domain Reflectometry technique, with probes installed horizontally at 7.5 and 22.5 cm depths. The use of mulch allowed the application of smaller irrigation depths, leading to lower crop coefficient (18% in stage II and 3% in stage III) in comparison to the crop without mulch. Irrigation depths associated with the use of mulch influenced the evaluated production variables, proving to be an alternative to increase marketable yield and quality of onion bulbs, with lower irrigation depth.

Use of capacitive sensors with the instantaneous profile method to determine hydraulic conductivity

Due to the need to monitor soil water tension continuously, the instantaneous profile method is considered laborious, requiring a lot of time, and especially manpower, to set up and maintain. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility of using capacitive sensors in place of tensiometers with the instantaneous profile method in an area of the Lower Acarau Irrigated Perimeter. The experiment was carried out in a Eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisol. The sensors were installed 15, 30, 45 and 60 cm from the surface, and powered by photovoltaic panels, using a power manager to charge the battery and to supply power at night. Records from the capacitive sensors were collected every five minutes and stored on a data acquisition board. With the simultaneous measurement of soil moisture obtained by the sensors, and the total soil water potential from the soil water retention curve, it was possible to determine the hydraulic conductivity as a function of the volumetric water content for each period using the Richards equation. At the end of the experiment, the advantage of using capacitive sensors with the instantaneous profile method was confirmed as an alternative to using a tensiometer. The main advantages of using capacitive sensors were to make the method less laborious and to allow moisture readings at higher tensions in soils of a sandy texture.

Soil Management in the Wet Solid Mass of Uruburetama, Ceará, Brazil

Soil Management in the Wet Solid Mass of Uruburetama, Ceará, Brazil Ms. José Nelson do Nascimento Neto, PhD; José Falcão Sobrinho, Dra. Cleire Lima da Costa Falcão Abstract The process of land use and occupation in environments of residual masses in the semi-arid region has generated changes in the landscape. This fact is attested in the Uruburetama massif, located in the northern region of the State of Ceará, fruit of a degradacional agricultural cultivation of the soil in its steep slopes. This area comprises a territorial dimension of 973.43 km² and for analytical purposes of such degradation, it was decided to establish the top sequence model and to select in the massif two areas: quadrant I, in the municipality of Itapajé, and quadrant II, in the municipality of Uruburetama. Having said that, we aim to analyze the landscape alteration considering the land use and occupation process in the referred massif. During the research, physical and chemical analyzes of soil samples were performed, based on the EMBRAPA (2006) methodology. In quadrant I (top with soil under Atlantic forest, soil under banana cultivation and valley with soil under fallow in 12.47 km³) and in quadrant II (top with soil under banana tree, in the slope with soil under banana tree cultivation in the valley with soil under banana cultivation in 12.47 km²). The spatiality of the red-yellow argisol was verified. It was identified the decharacterization of the landscape in the two quadrants, and the need to consider the parceling and the curves of levels as an adequate management of the reality of the local relief. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jges.v6n2a2

Soil, water, nutrients and soil organic matter losses by water erosion as a function of soil management in the Posses sub-watershed, Extrema, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Knowledge of the quantity and quality of the material lost by soil erosion due to soil management is a basic need to identify land management zones in catchments. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of soil management on the quantity and quality of soil material lost by erosion in the Posses sub-watershed, Municipality of Extrema, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Water and sediments lost by natural rainfall erosion were sampled from erosion plots located on a Red-Yellow Argisol (PVA) under the following systems: bare soil, subsistence farming (maize/beans/pumpkin/jack-beans/fallow), degraded pasture, well-managed pasture, and reforestation set up in 2013; and in a Litholic Neosol (RL): reforestation set up in 2008, bare soil, and native forest. Ca, Mg, K, P, N and soil organic matter (SOM) contents were determined in sediment and soil samples (at 0-5 cm depth) for the determination of the runoff enrichment ratios. Management influences soil losses more so than water losses. Minor losses were found in reforestation set up in 2013 (soil); in well-managed pasture (water); and in reforestations (nutrients and SOM). These losses tend to stability with time. The general sequence of nutrient losses was N > Ca > Mg > K > P in PVA; and N > Ca > K > Mg > P in RL. Loss rates of SOM and N followed the order: bare soil > subsistence farming > degraded pasture > well-managed pasture > reforestation, in PVA; and bare soil > native forest > reforestation, in RL. Reforestation and well-management pasture are effective conservation strategies in order to lower the erosion process in the Posses sub-watershed. Soil losses, as well as nutrients and organic matter losses were more influenced by soil management than water losses. The safeguarding native forest under Litholic Neosol is essential to the conservation of this pedoenvironment, especially in steep slopes.

Stalk yield of sugarcane cultivars under different water regimes by subsurface drip irrigation

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the stalk yield of ten sugarcane cultivars (RB962962, RB931011, RB931530, RB98710, RB92579, RB867515, RB863129, SP791011, RB72545 and VAT90212) subjected to water deficit, full irrigation and water surplus by subsurface drip irrigation, during three cropping seasons (2011-2014). The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Field of Embrapa Meio-Norte, Teresina, Piauí State, Brazil, in dystrophic Red Yellow Argisol. The cultivars RB962962 (162.3 Mg ha-1) and RB867515 (158.5 Mg ha-1) have better stalk yield compared with other cultivars in all water regimes and cropping seasons.

Determining the Soil Erodibility for an Experimental Basin in the Semi-Arid Region Using Geoprocessing

Erosion is the natural process which has the greatest environmental impact, and is the principal trigger for desertification around the globe. The main model used to estimate soil loss by erosion is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), which unites the major factors that influence erosion into one equation. The soil erodibility factor (K) is the component of this equation that represents soil physics, and is defined as the inherent capacity of the soil to withstand disintegration of its particles and their subsequent transport. The use of geostatistics is seen as an alternative in spatializing this variable from sampled to non-sampled points. The aim of this study therefore, was to determine the soil erodibility factor for an experimental basin in the semi-arid region of Brazil, in addition to generating the soil erodibility map using geostatistics. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from 35 points, and laboratory samples were processed to determine the granulometry, permeability and organic matter of the soil, data which are used to determine the K-factor. Kriging was performed to spatialize the study variable, when spherical, exponential and Gaussian semivariograms were tested for generation of the soil erodibility map, these being evaluated by their respective deviations resulting from cross-validation. The mean value of K for the Haplic Luvisol was 0.0328 ton·ha·h/ha·MJ·mm; for the eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisol it was 0.0258 ton·ha·h/ha·MJ·mm; and for the Fluvic Neosol, it was 0.0424 ton·ha·h/ha·MJ·mm. The experimental basin is classified as highly erodible. The semivariogram that presented the best fit for generating the soil erodibility map of the study area was Gaussian.

LINEAR AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF FODDER PRODUCTIVE COMPONENTS CORRELATED WITH MICRONUTRIENT LEVELS OF THE SOIL

: The knowledge over the soil chemical analysis results is one of the initial steps for the determination of the fertilizer recommendation, given that, for micronutrients in pastures, the works are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the linear and spatial variability of the soil micronutrient levels in an experimental area under pasture, with Urochloa spp. hybrids, in a total of 17.6 ha. The predominant soil in the area was the Dystrophic Red-Yellow Argisol. In previous years, maize and sugarcane were cultivated in the researched area. A regular sampling mesh of 30 x 30 m was used, with 195 points of soil collect at 0.0-0,1 m and 0.1-0.2 m depths and a complete chemical analysis (390 samples) was conducted. The evaluated plant attributes were the height (Hei) and the dry mass of fodder production (DMF). The soil attributes were B, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn. Mathematical models depending on B, Fe, and Mn for the 0.0-0.1 m depth could explain the DMF productivity. The higher ranges of spatial dependence were observed for the attributes of DMF and Fe in the depths of 0.0-0.1 m and 0.1-0.2 m. The average use of the results can provide errors when taking decisions about the micronutrients fertilization, by its high spatial variability.

INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON CACAO BIOMETRIC ATTRIBUTES

This study aimed to investigate the influence of different sites of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivartion, represented by different soils and cropping systems, on biometrics attributes of pods and beans. The 12 study sites are in the cacao region of Bahia, Brazil, in the humid zone. The variation and the statistical differences between the means of these attributes clearly indicate the influence of genotype and environment interaction. Attributes pod wet biomass, beans with mucilage wet biomass and number of beans were positively correlated with the cultivation sites represented by Argisol Red-Yellow Eutrophic cambisolic and Argisol Red-Yellow Dystrophic Cohesive abrupt soils. The highest values of length and dry weight of dry cacao beans correspond to Argisol Red-Yellow Eutrophic cambisolic. The dystrophic soils are related to lower dry weight values of cacao beans. The selection of cacao cropping sites by biometric attributes also highlighted the Argisol Red-Yellow Eutrophic cambisolic and Argisol Red-Yellow Dystrophic Cohesive abrupt soils. Understanding the variability of cacao biometric attributes emphasizes the importance of using technologies for achieving sustainable production of cacao with quality

Yield, water use efficiency, and yield response factor in carrot crop under different irrigation depths

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different irrigation depths on the yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and yield response factor (Ky) of carrot (cv. 'Brasília') in the edaphoclimatic conditions of Baixada Fluminense, RJ, Brazil. Field trials were conducted in a Red-Yellow Argisol in the 2010-2011period. A randomized block design was used, with 5 treatments (depths) and 4 replicates. Depths were applied by drippers with different flow rates, and the irrigation was managed by time domain reflectometry (TDR) technique. The reference (ETo) and crop (ETc) evapotranspiration depths reached 286.3 and 264.1mm in 2010, and 336.0 and 329.9mm in 2011, respectively. The root yield varied from 30.4 to 68.9t ha-1 as a response to treatments without irrigation and 100% replacement of the soil water depth, respectively. Values for WUE in the carrot crop varied from 15 to 31kg m-3 and the mean Ky value was 0.82. The mean values for Kc were obtained in the initial (0.76), intermediate (1.02), and final (0.96) stages. Carrot crop was influenced by different water depths (treatments) applied, and the highest value for WUE was obtained for 63.4% of soil water replacement.