Reinaldo Bertola Cantarutti

Carbono orgânico e Nitrogênio em agregados de um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico sob duas coberturas vegetais

Soil organic matter is constituted by a vast array of compounds that include active and more stable fractions, with different cycling rates. Management practices affect organic carbon and nitrogen contents, organic matter quality, and soil aggregation. The present study aimed to characterize organic carbon and nitrogen in aggregates of a Dystrophic Red Latosol of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in an area of native vegetation (Cerradao) and another one that has been for 30 years under conventional corn cultivation. Soil samples were collected at depths of 5-10 and 15-20 cm at four different sites. The dried samples were fractioned in the following aggregate classes: diameter 4.75-2.0; 2.0-1.0; 1.0-0.5; 0.5-0.25; 0.25-0.105; and less than 0.105 mm. Total organic carbon (COT), water soluble organic carbon (COS), total nitrogen (NT) and anaerobically-mineralized nitrogen (NMA) were determined for each sample. On average, the COT contents of soil aggregates under conventional tillage were higher, while NT contents were greater in the aggregates of the Cerradao surface layer. The COS and NMA contents, that correspond to more active fractions of organic matter, were significantly higher in aggregates of Cerradao soil. Aggregates of smaller size tended to present higher contents of COT, NT and NMA. Ratios of C/N, COT/COS and NT/NMA were, on average, higher in aggregates of soils under corn. The NT/NMA ratio was significantly higher in the 15-20 cm layer. However, independent of the soil, the lowest NT/NMA ratios were observed in the smallest aggregate classes, indicating the presence of more labile nitrogen forms. Results showed that vegetation cover type and soil management influenced not only the organic carbon and nitrogen contents, but also organic matter quality. Smaller aggregates are not only responsible for a greater stock of organic matter in the soil but also represent important sites of mineralizable nitrogen. The COS, NMA and the ratios of COT/COS and NT/NMA represent valuable indicators to detect alterations in the lability of organic matter due to management.

Aspectos quantitativos do processo de reciclagem de nutrientes pelas fezes de bovinos sob pastejo em pastagem de Brachiaria decumbens na Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais

The experiment was carried out at the experimental station of EMBRAPA/National Dairy Research, at Coronel Pacheco, in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais, to evaluate the qualitative aspects of the nutrients recycling through the feces of grazing bovines. A 110 square meter plot was located in a previous established pasture of Brachiaria decumbens. There were significant differences on the nitrogen and magnesium concentrations of forage, for 10 weeks, apparently reflecting amounts in the forage. There were no variation of the other nutrients in the forage and feces. The average frequency defecation was of 9.84 defecations/animal per day and the average weight of the feces at each defecation was of 200.5 g dry matter. It was verified, by means of some data estimates, that the nutrients recycling in the feces, so 93.28% N, 76.68% P, 1.99% K, 72.93% Ca and 62.54% Mg, that was ingested by the animal returned to the pasture as feces, the same as 18.09% N, 35.46% P, 5.47% K, 30.26% Ca and 15.43% Mg, available as primary production, returned to the pasture through feces.

ESTOQUE DE CARBONO DO SOLO SOB PASTAGEM EM ÁREA DE TABULEIRO COSTEIRO NO SUL DA BAHIA

The replacement of forest environments by pastures leads to fundamental alterations in soil carbon stocks and consequently in the global cycle of this element. This study was conducted in the municipality of Itabela, Bahia, and the objective was to evaluate carbon stocks in soils of a natural forest in comparison to degraded and productive pastures with different usage periods. For this purpose, remnants of the Atlantic Forest, productive pastures after different periods of use (2, 9 and 18 years) and an ill-managed pasture (18 years) were selected. All areas were located on a flat terrain of the same soil class (Typic Paleudult). In each area three plots were established and used for soil sampling and subsequent carbon analyses. Results showed no significant difference in soil carbon stocks in the forest and degraded or productive pastures with different use periods and soil layers. Moreover, it was observed that after 28 years of usage an average of the 62 % of organic carbon found in well and ill- managed pastures was still derived from the original forest soil organic matter.

Desenvolvimento de um sistema para recomendação de adubação para a cultura da bananeira

Fertilizer recommendations for banana plantations should be technically sound and, mainly, more adjustable on a scientific base than the usual recommendation tables. A system was developed to estimate recommendable nutrient doses for banana (FERTICALC®-Bananeira), by means of modeling nutrient balance. This nutrient balance is obtained by the difference between the crop nutrient demand and supply through soil and plant residues. When the demand is higher than the supply, fertilizer application is recommended; when it is lower or equal to the supply, fertilizer application is not recommended. Simulations showed that the recommendable nutrient doses by the FERTICALC®-Bananeira increase continuously with the expected productivity rise and the reduction of nutrient contents in the soil that are higher in the first cycle and lower from the second cycle on. The FERTICALC®-Bananeira represents an important alternative for the recommendation of fertilizers for banana plantations due to the underlying logic and variables.

Urea coated with oxidized charcoal reduces ammonia volatilization

Urea is the most consumed nitrogen fertilizer in the world. However, its agronomic and economic efficiency is reduced by the volatilization of NH3, which can reach 78 % of the applied nitrogen. The coating of urea granules with acidic compounds obtained by charcoal oxidation has the potential to reduce the volatilization, due to the acidic character, the high buffering capacity and CEC. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of HNO3-oxidized carbon on the control of NH3 volatilization. These compounds were obtained by oxidation of Eucalyptus grandis charcoal, produced at charring temperatures of 350 and 450 oC, with 4.5 mol L-1 HNO3. The charcoal was oxidized by solubilization in acidic or alkaline medium, similar to the procedure of soil organic matter fractionation (CHox350 and CHox450). CHox was characterized by C, H, O, N contents and their respective atomic relations, by the ratio E4 (absorbance 465 nm) by E6 (absorbance 665 nm), and by active acidity and total acidity (CEC). The inhibitory effect of CHox on the urease activity of Canavalia ensiformis was assessed in vitro. The NH3 volatilization from urea was evaluated with and without coating of oxidized charcoal (U-CHox350 or U-CHox450) in a closed system with continuous air flow. The pH of both CHox was near 2.0, but the total acidity of CHox350 was higher, 72 % of which was attributed to carboxylic groups. The variation in the ionization constants of CHox350 was also greater. The low E4/E6 ratios characterize the high stability of the compounds in CHox. CHox did not inhibit the urease activity in vitro, although the maximum volatilization peak from U-CHox450 and U-CHox350 occurred 24 h after that observed for uncoated urea. The lowest volatilization rate was observed for U-CHox350 as well as a 43 % lower total amount of NH3 volatilized than from uncoated urea.

SUBSTÂNCIAS HÚMICAS, ATIVIDADE MICROBIANA E CARBONO ORGÂNICO LÁBIL EM AGREGADOS DE UM LATOSSOLO VERMELHO DISTRÓFICO SOB DUAS COBERTURAS VEGETAIS

Organic matter is an indicator of the soil quality. Knowledge about its different components, explaining the influence of management practices on organic matter and soil aggregation, is essential for the sustainability of agricultural systems. In the present work, we evaluated humic substances, microbial activity and labile organic carbon in a Dystrophic Red Latosol from Minas Gerais state, Brazil, under natural vegetation (Cerradao) or under 30-years of conventional corn cultivation. Soil samples were collected from depths of 5-10 and 15-20 cm at four different sites. Then the samples were dried and fractioned in aggregate classes (diameter 4.75-2.0; 2.0-1.0; 1.0-0.5; 0.5-0.25; 0.25-0.105; and less than 0.105 mm). Furthermore, organic carbon of fulvic acid (AF), humic acids (AH) and humins (HUM) fractions, and labile organic carbon (COL) using KMnO4 15.6 and 33.0 mmol L-1 of the samples were determined. The material was further subjected to a respirometry test, in which CO2 production values were adjusted to logistic equations [Y = a/1 + e-(b + cx)] to estimate the time needed to achieve half of the maximum CO2 (t1/2), production. Results showed higher mean organic carbon contents in the AH fraction and COL with KMnO4 33.0 mmol L-1 of soil aggregates under conventional tillage. For AF and HUM fractions and COL with KMnO4 15.6 mmol L-1 this behavior was only observed in the 15-20 cm layer. The highest CO2 production was observed in the aggregates of the soil under Cerradao. The smaller aggregates tended to present higher organic carbon contents in the AF and AH fractions and COL. These were responsible for the highest CO2 production and constituted favorable sites of organic matter storage, due to the physical and chemical protection, as well as for mineralization, since microorganisms prefer these sites. The coefficients of the logistic equation (a, b, c) and the t1/2 can be considered important indicators of organic matter quality and lability under different managements.

Decomposição de fontes orgânicas e mineralização de formas de nitrogênio e fósforo

Diferentes residuos in natura (farinhas, tortas e vinhacas) e compostos (lixo domiciliar e lodo de esgoto) foram avaliados quanto a decomposicao e mineralizacao de formas orgânicas de N e P, quando incorporados a um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo, em condicoes de ambiente controlado. A decomposicao foi determinada em experimento de respirometria e a mineralizacao, por incubacao. Para um periodo de incubacao de 30 dias, os residuos in natura apresentaram maior evolucao acumulada de C-CO 2 em comparacao aos residuos na forma compostada. No periodo de incubacao de 60 dias, os compostos de lodo de esgoto (4.500 mg kg -1 ) e lixo domiciliar (2.000 mg kg -1 ) mineralizaram N, em contraste com a farinha de carne e osso (385 mg kg -1 ) e a torta de filtro (281 mg kg -1 ), que imobilizaram N. A relacao C/N e o teor inicial de N nos residuos nao explicaram o seu processo de mineralizacao. Isso sugeriu que a natureza do residuo e caracteristica s como formas de C facilmente biodegradaveis, teores e capacidade dos polifenois totais soluveis em complexar proteina e, estoques de N nas formas fulvica e humica da materia orgânica interferiram na mineralizacao de N. Para um periodo de incubacao de 45 dias, a mineralizacao do P correlacionou-se positivamente com o teor inicial de P orgânico (r = 0,99**) e negativamente com a relacao C/P (r = - 0,88**) dos residuos. A farinha de carne e osso apresentou maior mineralizacao de P (1.144 mg kg -1 ) em relacao aos outros residuos. Palavras-chave: Residuos industriais, compostos de lixo domiciliar e lodo de esgoto, respiracao do solo.

Adubação nitrogenada na produção e composição química do capimbraquiária sob pastejo rotacionado

Production of better quality forage can be achieved by changing grazing method, from continuous grazing by rotational grazing, associated with fertilization practices, especially nitrogen fertilization. It was evaluated during the rainy seasons of 2002/03 and 2003/04 the effect of nitrogen doses (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1) on dry matter yield and on chemical composition (crude protein, ADF, NDF, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin) of a Urochroa decumbens cv. Basilisk pasture, managed under rotational grazing. In addition, it was evaluated the efficiencies of two nitrogen sources (ammonium sulfate and urea) and recovery of nitrogen by the pastures. The nitrogen doses, as urea in the first year and ammonium sulfate and urea in the second year, were split in equal applications during the rainy season. Linear effects were found to dry matter (DM) yield and crude protein content in response to the nitrogen applied. Values of 18 and 14 kg DM/kg N applied were obtained in the first and second year, respectively. For crude protein, contents of 9.1 and 11.7% were noted with the application of 300 kg ha-1 N, in the first and second year respectively, whereas in the control treatment (0 kg ha-1 N), the contents found were 6.6% for the first year and 7.1% for the second year. In turn, contents of NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were not affected by nitrogen doses. Sources of urea and ammonium sulfate did not differ from each other. Efficiencies of nitrogen recovery in available dry matter were 33.1, 41.7 and 42.2% in response to 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1 N, respectively, which can be considered relatively low

Distribuição do amônio, nitrato, potássio e fósforo em colunas de latossolos fertirrigadas

It is convenient to apply nutrients in fertigation at an appropriate depth, in order to locate those elements at a convenient place for plant uptake. So, an experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions using percolation columns, to establish the irrigation lamina fraction in which N (NH4+ e NO3-), K+, and H2PO4- doses must be applied as well as the optimum dose fractioning of these nutrients so as to locate their adequate depth and determine the distribution of fertigated NH4+, NO3-, K+, and H2PO4-. The treatments consisted of a 4 (1 + 7) factorial, using four Latosols from Minas Gerais (two dystrophic Red-Yellow, one dystroferric Red, and one dystrophic Red), a control (aplication of deionized water) and seven modes of application of 1 mmol dm-3 of NH4+, 1 mmol dm-3 of NO3- , 2 mmol dm-3 of K+ and 2 mmol dm-3 of H2PO4-. The irrigation lamina was divided into five equal fractions (F1 to F5) and the nutrient dose was applied whole (D), or fractioned two (D1/2) or three times (D1/3). Hence, nutrient application was performed according to the following scheme: F2D, F3D, F4D, F2D1/2F3D1/2 , F3D1/2F4D1/2 , F2D1/2F4D1/2 or F2D1/3F3D1/3 F4D1/3. Sub-samples were used to analyze NH4+, NO3-, K+ and H2PO4-, through the determination of the profile of distribution of these nutrients. Mobility was in the following order: NO3- > NH4+ > K+ > H2PO4-, on soils LVAd1, LVAd2 and LVd. For the soil LVdf, the order was: NH4+ > NO3- > K+ > H2PO4- . And the risk of contamination of groundwater caused by NO3-: LVAd1 > LVAd2 > LVdf > LVd. The amount of water added to the column, lower than half pore per volume, was not sufficient to displace H2PO4-beyond the first ring. Regarding the other ions studied, localization at a higher depth when applied as a single pulse, was verified with a higher pulse concentration (D > D1/2 > D1/3) and with a greater irrigation lamina following its application (F2D > F3D > F 4D and F2D1/2F3D1/2 > F3D1/2F4D1/2 ). The results shows that the differential mobility of (N-NNO3- e NH4+ ) and K+ would require a careful dosage of these nutrients in the solution to prevent nitrogen losses due to leaching, or excessively superficial localization of potassium. The extremely low mobility of H2PO4- shows that fertigation would not be an appropriate technique for incorporation of this mineral into soil for crop fertilization purposes.

Diâmetro de trado necessário à coleta de amostras num cambissolo sob plantio direto ou sob plantio convencional antes ou depois da aração

When a determined number of single soil samples is recommended for the formation of a composite sample, the diameter of the sampling auger is not taken into account. Thus, this study aimed to determine the auger diameter that would allow a reduction in the time and effort needed for soil sampling. Single soil samples of six different volumes (40, 90, 160, 360, 810 and 1,000 cm3) were collected in three management-harvest systems (no-till planting (PD), conventional planting before (PCAA) or after tillage (PCDA), in order to obtain the single sample volume to estimate the lowest variability of the evaluated characteristics (pH, P, K, Ca2+ and Mg2+). In general, the estimate of the variability for most chemical characteristics of soil fertility was similar under no-till planting (PD) and conventional planting before tillage (PCAA), and higher than that under conventional planting after tillage (PCDA); the increase in volume of the single samples at a same collection depth reduced the variability estimate of the soil fertility characteristics until practically stable values. This allowed the recommendation of an auger diameter of approximately 5.4 cm for the collection of n single samples, i.e., 20 single samples for the soils under no-till (f = 20 %), 15 in those under conventional planting before tillage (f = 20 %) and 10 in those under conventional planting after tillage (f = 10 %). Such values ensure tolerable definite variation around the average (f) to establish the analytical results.