Marcos Bacis Ceddia

Propriedades químicas e biológicas de solo de tabuleiro cultivado com cana-de-açúcar com e sem queima da palhada

Two systems of sugar cane harvesting were compared: 1-previous burning (burned cane) and 2-straw spreading over the soil surface (green cane), over an area of Linhares Agropecuaria S.A. plantation, in Linhares, Espirito Santo, Brazil. The soil was classified as Yellow Podzolic sandy over medium texture, developed from Barreiras Formation sediments. After six years of sugar cane cultivation (1989-1994), nutrient distribution, humified fractions, and soil microbial biomass dynamics were determined. The green cane system showed an increasing of soil carbon content in the 0-20 cm soil depth, as well as higher levels of exchangeable magnesium when compared to the burned cane system. However, the burned cane system had the highest levels of potassium and phosphorus in the surface layer. The straw addition resulted in the predominance of humin and fulvic acid fractions and of a greater portion of carbon immobilized in the soil microbial biomass, mainly in the 0-5 cm soil depth, with the highest values observed in the rainy season (November).

Sistemas de colheita da cana-de-açúcar e alterações nas propriedades físicas de um solo podzólico amarelo no Estado do Espírito Santo

A long term (1989-1994) experiment with sugar cane (RB 739735) was carried out, in Linhares, ES, Brazil, in order to evaluate the effect of two systems of sugar cane harvesting: the first with previous burning (burned cane), and the second with crop residue remaining on the soil surface (green cane), on some physical properties of a tableland Yellow Podzolic soil. The statistical design was in randomized blocks, replicated six times. After six years of cultivation, a process of soil degradation was observed in the burned cane system, with decreasing of aggregate mean diameter and increasing of soil bulk density at the 0-5 cm soil depth. There were also differences in total porosity and porous distribution at the 0-5 cm soil depth as a consequence of the harvesting system. The soil water infiltration, measured in the field, was greatest in the area under the green cane treatments. The same result was not observed when measuring saturated hydraulic conductivity with the steady state permeameter.

Topography and spatial variability of soil physical properties

Among the soil formation factors, relief is one of the most used in soil mapping, because of its strong correlation with the spatial variability of soil attributes over a landscape. In this study the relationship between topography and the spatial variability of some soil physical properties was evaluated. The study site, a pasture with 2.84 ha, is located near Seropedica, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, where a regular square grid with 20 m spacing was laid out and georreferenced. In each sampling point, altitude was measured and undisturbed soil samples were collected, at 0.0-0.1, 0.1-0.2, and 0.2-0.3 m depths. Organic carbon content, soil texture, bulk density, particle density, and soil water retention at 10 (Field Capacity), 80 (limit of tensiometer reading) and 1500 kPa (Permanent Wilting Point) were determined. Descriptive statistics was used to evaluate central tendency and dispersion parameters of the data. Semivariograms and cross semivariograms were calculated to evaluate the spatial variability of elevation and soil physical attributes, as well as, the relation between elevation and soil physical attributes. Except for silt fraction content (at the three depths), bulk density (at 0.2-0.3 m) and particle density (at 0.0-0.1 m depth), all soil attributes showed a strong spatial dependence. Areas with higher elevation presented higher values of clay content, as well as soil water retention at 10, 80 and 1500 kPa. The correlation between altitude and soil physical attributes decreased as soil depth increased. The cross semivariograms demonstrated the viability in using altitude as an auxiliary variable to improve the interpolation of sand and clay contents at the depth of 0.0-0.3 m, and of water retention at 10, 80 and 1500 kPa at the depth of 0.0-0.2 m.

Variabilidade de atributos físicos do solo determinados por métodos diversos

The spatial variability of soil physical attributes has been the focus of many studies in the last few years. However, little has been discussed of differences of these attributes due to sampling methods. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variability of soil physical attributes sampled by different methods in Rhodic Eutrudox, in Campinas (SP, Brazil). Sampling was performed between January and May of 2005, at 302 points of a 10 x 10 m grid. Soil bulk density was measured by the volumetric soil core and the clod methods. Total soil porosity was estimated using the relation between soil bulk density and particle density 2,65 kg dm-3 described in scientific literature for mineral soil and 2,84 kg dm-3 found in the study area. Soil water content was measured by the volumetric core, gravimetric and TDR methods. Bulk density measured soil core presented the lesser value of coefficient of variation (CV) and effect nugget (C0), respectively 7,13% and 0,005. The measured total porosity is presented as the method most practical for determination of this attribute of the soil. The humidity sampling volumetric presented results close to the overall average comparative to the too much methods of sampling of the soil water content.

Detrending non stationary data for geostatistical applications

The use of geostatistics requires at least that the intrinsic hypothesis be satisfied. The presence of a trend in the data invalidates this hypothesis. One of the ways of solving this problem is by subtracting a function fitted to the original data and working with the residuals. This technique also represents a change to a smaller scale of the variability and surface roughness. This paper describes the detrending technique of subtracting a trend surface fitted by the least squares method and discusses the results using topographical data as examples. The objective is to show how the detrending technique works for different scales and degrees of trend and how to interpret the results. It is shown that the simplest the surfaces fitted that does the work of removing the trend the best are the results obtained. The use of jack knifing is proved useful to validate the resulting semivariograms. For most of the applications and depending upon the scale, a linear or a parabolic surface works reasonably well. The back transformation of the data afterwards is very easily done by adding back the subtracted trend surface.

Spatial variability of soil carbon stock in the Urucu river basin, Central Amazon-Brazil

The Amazon Forest plays a major role in C sequestration and release. However, few regional estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in this ecoregion exist. One of the barriers to improve SOC estimates is the lack of recent soil data at high spatial resolution, which hampers the application of new methods for mapping SOC stock. The aims of this work were: (i) to quantify SOC stock under undisturbed vegetation for the 0-30 and the 0-100 cm under Amazon Forest; (ii) to correlate the SOC stock with soil mapping units and relief attributes and (iii) to evaluate three geostatistical techniques to generate maps of SOC stock (ordinary, isotopic and heterotopic cokriging). The study site is located in the Central region of Amazon State, Brazil. The soil survey covered the study site that has an area of 80 km(2) and resulted in a 1:10,000 soil map. It consisted of 315 field observations (96 complete soil profiles and 219 boreholes). SOC stock was calculated by summing C stocks by horizon, determined as a product of BD, SOC and the horizon thickness. For each one of the 315 soil observations, relief attributes were derived from a topographic map to understand SOC dynamics. The SOC stocks across 30 and 100 cm soil depth were 3.28 and 7.32 kg C m(-2), respectively, which is, 34 and 16%, lower than other studies. The SOC stock is higher in soils developed in relief forms exhibiting well-drained soils, which are covered by Upland Dense Tropical Rainforest. Only SOC stock in the upper 100 cm exhibited spatial dependence allowing the generation of spatial variability maps based on spatial (co)-regionalization. The CTI was inversely correlated with SOC stock and was the only auxiliary variable feasible to be used in cokriging interpolation. The heterotopic cokriging presented the best performance for mapping SOC stock.

Perdas de solo e água em um Argissolo Vermelho Amarelo, submetido a diferentes intensidades de chuva simulada

The objective of this research was to estimate soil and water losses of a Red Yellow Argissol, using a pendulum rainfall simulator. Rainfall was simulated for 35 min at the intensities of 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 mm h-1, which corresponded to kinetic energy values of 138, 184, 229, 275 and 321 J m-2, respectively. Cumulative soil and water losses were recorded with time at 5 min intervals. The results of soil and water losses were then fitted by regression equations. The fitted equations yielded soil and water losses that varied from 2.83 to 26.82 g m-2 (for soil) and from 0.00209 to 0.01370 m3 m-2 (for water) when the rainfall kinetic energy varied from 138 to 321 J m-2. Fitted and field measured soil and water losses showed a maximum variation of 3.4 and 5.7%, respectively.

Evapotranspiração e coeficientes de cultivo da beterraba orgânica sob cobertura morta de leguminosa e gramínea

As praticas agricolas que maximizam a produtividade e o uso da agua sao de vital importância para a agricultura. Assim, foram testados tres tipos de manejo do solo com objetivo de determinar a evapotranspiracao (ETc) e os coeficientes de cultivo (kc) da beterraba. Os tipos de manejo foram a utilizacao de coberturas mortas vegetais, denominadas capim cameroon (Pennisetum purpureum), gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) e solo sem cobertura morta em area experimental do SIPA (Sistema Integrado de Producao Orgânica) localizado em Seropedica, Brasil. A lâmina de irrigacao foi estimada com base no balanco de agua no solo, cujo monitoramento foi realizado com a tecnica da TDR. As ETc acumuladas para a cultura da beterraba foram 59,41; 55,31 e 119,62 mm, respectivamente, para capim cameroon, gliricidia e solo sem cobertura morta. A evapotranspiracao de referencia (ETo) foi obtida por meio do modelo de Penamn-Monteith. Os valores medios de kc obtidos para as fases inicial, media e final de desenvolvimento foram de 0,39; 0,42 e 1,02; 0,79; 0,76 e 1,18; e 0,56; 0,61 e 0,84, respectivamente, para capim cameroon, gliricidia e solo sem cobertura morta. O uso da cobertura do solo com graminea ou leguminosa minimizou de forma expressiva a demanda hidrica da cultura da beterraba (Beta vulgaris).

Spatial variability of maximum annual daily rain under different return periods at the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

Knowledge of maximum daily rain and its return period in a region is an important tool to soil conservation, hydraulic engineering and preservation of road projects. The objective of this work was to evaluate the spatial variability of maximum annual daily rain considering different return periods, at the Rio de Janeiro State. The data set was composed by historical series of 119 rain gauges, for 36 years of observation. The return periods, estimated by Gumbel distribution, were 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years. The spatial variability of the return periods was evaluated by semivariograms. All the return periods presented spatial dependence, with exponential and spherical model fitted to the experimental semivariograms. The parameters of the fitted semivariogram model were very similar; however, it was observed the presence of higher nugget effects for semivariograms of longer return periods. The values of maximum annual daily average rain in all the return periods increased from north to south and from countryside to the coast. In the region between the Serra do Mar range and the coast, besides increasing in magnitude, an increase in the spatial variability of the studied values with increasing return periods was also noticed. This behavior is probably caused by the orographic effect. The interpolated maps were more erratic for higher return periods and at the North, Northeast and Coastal Plain regions, in which the installation of new pluviometric stations are recommended.

Prediction of Soil Physical and Chemical Properties by Visible and Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy in the Central Amazon

Visible and near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (VIS-NIR) has shown levels of accuracy comparable to conventional laboratory methods for estimating soil properties. Soil chemical and physical properties have been predicted by reflectance spectroscopy successfully on subtropical and temperate soils, whereas soils from tropical agro-forest regions have received less attention, especially those from tropical rainforests. A spectral characterization provides a proficient pathway for soil characterization. The first step in this process is to develop a comprehensive VIS-NIR soil library of multiple key soil properties to be used in future soil surveys. This paper presents the first VIS-NIR soil library for a remote region in the Central Amazon. We evaluated the performance of VIS-NIR for the prediction of soil properties in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Soil properties measured and predicted were: pH, Ca, Mg, Al, H, H+Al, P, organic C (SOC), sum of bases, cation exchange capacity (CEC), percentage of base saturation (V), Al saturation (m), clay, sand, silt, silt/clay (S/C), and degree of flocculation. Soil samples were scanned in the laboratory in the VIS-NIR range (350–2500 nm), and forty-one pre-processing methods were tested to improve predictions. Clay content was predicted with the highest accuracy, followed by SOC. Sand, S/C, H, Al, H+Al, CEC, m and V predictions were reasonably good. The other soil properties were poorly predicted. Among the soil properties predicted well, SOC is one of the critical soil indicators in the global carbon cycle. Besides the soil property of interest, the landscape position, soil order and depth influenced in the model performance. For silt content, pH and S/C, the model performed better in well-drained soils, whereas for SOC best predictions were obtained in poorly drained soils. The association of VIS-NIR spectral data to landforms, vegetation classes, and soil types demonstrate potential for soil characterization.