Rodrigo Vieira Luciano

Perdas de água e solo por erosão hídrica em duas direções de semeadura de aveia e ervilhaca

The sowing direction influences soil surface roughness, which, combined with rainfall and other variables, e.g., canopy cover, affects soil water erosion. Using a rotating-boom rainfall simulator, five tests of simulated rainfall were applied to black oat (Avena strigosa), and vetch (Vicia sativa), at a constant intensity of 64 mm h-1, between August and November 2006, to assess water and soil loss in the following treatment: mechanized seeding of oats in downslope rows; mechanized seeding of oats along contour lines; mechanized seeding of vetch in downslope rows, and mechanized seeding of vetch along contour lines. The experiment was conducted in two replications on an Inceptisol, with a mean slope of 0.119 m m-1. The canopy cover was greater in oat than vetch until rainfall test 2 and higher in vetch in the tests 3 and 4, with no variation due to the sowing direction of the crops and increasing from the beginning to the end of the growth period. The time until the water started to run off was longer in the treatments with seeding along contour lines than downslope, in both crops; the maximum runoff rate along the contour lines was lower and the time until maximum runoff rate longer. The sediment concentration in runoff decreased over the rainfall tests; it was lower in oat than vetch, and 52 % lower in contour than downslope sowing. Soil loss decreased over the rainfall tests; these losses were 12 % lower in oat and 56 % lower in vetch contour than downslope sowing; the water loss had the same performance as soil loss, although with lower magnitudes. The accumulated soil losses increased with accumulated rain volume (VR) and rain erosivity (EI30), between the first and fourth test, according to the equations: SL = 0.859 (1-e-0.0059VR) (R2 = 0.99) and SL = 0.832 (1-e-0.0004EI30) (R2 = 0.99).

Atributos físicos relacionados à compactação de solos sob vegetação nativa em região de altitude no Sul do Brasil

The compaction caused by anthropic activities alters the soil physical properties, decreasing productivity and affecting the environment. Many studies on this topic have been conducted in agricultural soils; however there is little information in areas with native vegetation, where, usually, organic matter levels are higher. Thus, it is essential to evaluate the relationship between physical properties related to compaction under these conditions to establish reference values for the revegetation of native grassland or riparian forests. The objective was to relate maximum bulk density (MaxBD), optimum water content for compaction (OWC) and relative density (DR) with the limits of consistency, particle size and organic carbon content of predominant soils on the Southern Plateau of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, under native vegetation of temperate climate. Samples of A-Horizon were collected from two Oxisols (Rhodic and Xanthic Kandiudox), two Entisols (Lithic Udorthents and Typic Udipsamments) and two Inceptisols (Pachic Humudepts). The particle size distribution, particle density, total organic carbon content, limits of liquid, plasticity (LP) and stickiness, plasticity index, maximum bulk density (MaxBD), optimum water content (OWC) for compaction, bulk density, and the degree of compactness were evaluated. The MaxBD increases in soils with higher sand and fine sand content, and decreases in soils with higher clay content and higher liquidity and stickiness limits. The OWC decreases in sandy soils, especially those with a predominance of fine sand, and increases in those with higher clay content, total organic carbon and Atterberg limits. The OWC was between 0.76 and 1.05 times the plastic limit, directly related with the silt content, indicating that the optimum moisture content for compaction cannot be measured only by the determination of the plastic limit of a soil. The OWC/LP ratio of soils at higher altitude in the Southern Plateau of Santa Catarina is different from that of soils in other places, as a consequence of the high levels of organic matter and silt in these soils.

Pedotransfer functions to estimate retention and availability of water in soils of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Studies on water retention and availability are scarce for subtropical or humid temperate climate regions of the southern hemisphere. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relations of the soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties with water retention and availability for the generation and validation of continuous point pedotransfer functions (PTFs) for soils of the State of Santa Catarina (SC) in the South of Brazil. Horizons of 44 profiles were sampled in areas under different cover crops and regions of SC, to determine: field capacity (FC, 10 kPa), permanent wilting point (PWP, 1,500 kPa), available water content (AW, by difference), saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, aggregate stability, particle size distribution (seven classes), organic matter content, and particle density. Chemical and mineralogical properties were obtained from the literature. Spearmans rank correlation analysis and path analysis were used in the statistical analyses. The point PTFs for estimation of FC, PWP and AW were generated for the soil surface and subsurface through multiple regression analysis, followed by robust regression analysis, using two sets of predictive variables. Soils with finer texture and/or greater organic matter content retain more moisture, and organic matter is the property that mainly controls the water availability to plants in soil surface horizons. Path analysis was useful in understanding the relationships between soil properties for FC, PWP and AW. The predictive power of the generated PTFs to estimate FC and PWP was good for all horizons, while AW was best estimated by more complex models with better prediction for the surface horizons of soils in Santa Catarina.

Teor de nitrogênio solúvel na água de erosão hídrica em cultura de aveia e ervilhaca em três formas de semeadura

Where nutrients are lost by water erosion the eroded soil is impoverished and crop productivity is reduced, apart from the water contamination. Soluble N in the runoff is biologically available and contributes to eutrophication of the water and, depending on the form and content in the water, may be toxic to aquatic organisms. In order to evaluate the N content in the form of ammonium and nitrate in the runoff water, an experiment was conducted with simulated rainfall from April to November 2006, on an Inceptisol under conventional tillage. A combination of three factors was studied: crop type, sowing form and simulated rainfall test. The crops black oat (Avena strigosa) and common vetch (Vicia sativa) were studied, as well as the sowing forms: mechanical, along rows in slope direction; broadcast by hand; and mechanized along contour lines; and five simulated rainfall tests, at a constant and planned intensity of 64 mm h-1 and rainfall duration of 1 h. The first four rainfall tests were applied during the crop cycles and the fifth on the crop residues maintained on the soil surface. Nitrogen application to oat as urea cover dressing, immediately before rainfall test 1, resulted in a higher N-NH4+ content in the runoff water from oat than from vetch, exceeding the acceptable level for the aquatic community. Under rainfall on residues in decomposition on the soil surface, the content of soluble N-NO3- in the runoff water was higher in the crops of contour sowing than of slope sowing. The contents of soluble N-NH4+ and N-NO3- in the runoff water decreased from the beginning to the end of the crop cycles, but increased in the rainfall test on vetch mulch, to higher values than in the treatment with oat residue.

Water storage variability in a vineyard soil in the southern highlands of Santa Catarina state

In the subtropical regions of southern Brazil, rainfall distribution is uneven, which results in temporal variability of soil water storage. For grapes, water is generally available in excess and water deficiency occurs only occasionally. Furthermore, on the Southern Plateau of Santa Catarina, there are differences in soil properties, which results in high spatial variability. These two factors affect the composition of wine grapes. Spatio-temporal analyses are therefore useful in the selection of cultural practices as well as of adequate soils for vineyards. In this way, well-suited areas can produce grapes with a more appropriate composition for the production of quality wines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatio-temporal variability of water storage in a Cambisol during the growth cycle of a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and its relation to selected soil properties. The experimental area consisted of a commercial 8-year-old vineyard in Sao Joaquim, Santa Catarina, Brazil. A sampling grid with five rows and seven points per row, spaced 12 m apart, was outlined on an area of 3,456 m². Soil samples were collected with an auger at these points, 0.30 m away from the grapevines, in the 0.00-0.30 m layer, to determine gravimetric soil moisture. Measurements were taken once a week from December 2008 to April 2009, and every two weeks from December 2009 to March 2010. In December 2008, undisturbed soil samples were collected to determine bulk density, macro- and microporosity, and disturbed samples were used to quantify particle size distribution and organic carbon content. Results were subjected to descriptive analysis and semivariogram analysis, calculating the mean relative difference and the Pearson correlation. The average water storage in a Cambisol under grapevine on ridges had variable spatial dependence, i.e., the lower the average water storage, the higher the range of spatial dependence. Water storage had a stable spatial pattern during the trial period, indicating that the points with lower water storage or points with higher water storage during a certain period maintain these conditions throughout the experimental period. The relative difference is a simple method to identify positions that represent the average soil water storage more adequately at any time for a given area.

Corrective Potential of Alkaline Residue (Dregs) from Cellulose Industry in an Acid Soil Cultivated Under No-tillage

ABSTRACT The use of alkaline residues from cellulose industry can increase soil fertility and crop productivity, but some of these residues, such as dregs, can also reduce soil physical quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the dregs compared to lime as corrective for soil acidity applied on the surface under no-tillage. The treatments applied, half in 2004 and half in 2006, were: without corrective; dregs rates of 3.25, 6.5 and 13 Mg ha−1 and dolomitic lime rates of 5.25 and 10.5 Mg ha−1. After 5.5 years since the first application, soil chemical and physical attributes were determined, as well as soybean yield in 2010 and bean yield in 2011. Positive effects were observed on the soil chemical attributes with the application of dregs or lime, such as increased pH, calcium content, cation exchange capacity, and base saturation, and decreased the aluminum saturation. However, it was observed increase in sodium content and calcium/magnesium ratio with the application of dregs, however without impairing the soil physical quality. The soybean and bean yield increased in a similar way using dregs or lime. These results indicate the possibility of using dregs as corrective of soil acidity.