ABSTRACT The concept of soil physical quality (SPQ) is currently under discussion, and an agreement about which soil physical properties should be included in the SPQ characterization has not been reached. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the ability of SPQ indicators based on static and dynamic soil properties to assess the effects of two loosening treatments (chisel plowing to 0.20 m [ChT] and subsoiling to 0.35 m [DL]) on a soil under NT and to compare the performance of static- and dynamic-based SPQ indicators to define soil proper soil conditions for soybean yield. Soil sampling and field determinations were carried out after crop harvest. Soil water retention curve was determined using a tension table, and field infiltration was measured using a tension disc infiltrometer. Most dynamic SPQ indicators (field saturated hydraulic conductivity, K0, effective macroporosity, εma, total connectivity and macroporosity indexes [CwTP and Cwmac]) were affected by the studied treatments, and were greater for DL compared to NT and ChT (K0 values were 2.17, 2.55, and 4.37 cm h-1 for NT, ChT, and DL, respectively). However, static SPQ indicators (calculated from the water retention curve) were not capable of distinguishing effects among treatments. Crop yield was significantly lower for the DL treatment (NT: 2,400 kg ha-1; ChT: 2,358 kg ha-1; and DL: 2,105 kg ha1), in agreement with significantly higher values of the dynamic SPQ indicators, K0, εma, CwTP, and Cwmac, in this treatment. The results support the idea that SPQ indicators based on static properties are not capable of distinguishing tillage effects and predicting crop yield, whereas dynamic SPQ indicators are useful for distinguishing tillage effects and can explain differences in crop yield when used together with information on weather conditions. However, future studies, monitoring years with different weather conditions, would be useful for increasing knowledge on this topic.

Nos últimos anos, o sistema plantio direto (NT) tem aumentado. Alguns autores indicam que os atributos físicos do solo ficam estáveis após anos cultivando nesse sistema, sendo esse fato discutido por outros autores. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do último cultivo após a rotação (1º ano: milho; 2º ano: soja; e 3º ano: trigo/soja) sobre a configuração do sistema poroso do solo e das suas propriedades hidráulicas de diferentes tipos de textura (solo 1: franco; e solo 2: franco-arenoso) da região do pampa argentino, em NT por um longo prazo, para determinar se a estabilidade das propriedades físicas do solo independe do momento da rotação. Adicionalmente, foram comparados os procedimentos para avaliar a macroporosidade, bem como avaliada a eficiência da função de pedotransferência ROSETTA, para estimar os parâmetros do modelo de van Genuchten-Mualen (VGM) desses solos. A configuração do sistema poroso do solo e as propriedades hidráulicas não foram estáveis e se alteraram em razão da rotação da cultura e do último cultivo utilizado na rotação em ambos os solos. Nos dois locais, a condutividade hidráulica do solo saturado (K0), a macroporosidade (εma) e o raio médio ponderado do poro por fluxo (R0ma) aumentaram do 1º para o 2º ano da rotação de culturas e isso se atribuiu ao aumento de macroporos condutores de água pra as raízes de milho. O modelo VGM descreveu adequadamente a curva de retenção de água (WCR) nos dois solos, porém não foi adequada para as curvas de condutividade hidráulica (K) vs tensão (h). A função ROSETTA não foi eficiente para a estimativa dos parâmetros. Em resumo, os valores médios de K0 variaram entre 0,74 e 3,88 cm h-1. Com relação às propriedades físicas do solo no NT, o efeito do cultivo deve ser considerado.

The area under the no-tillage system (NT) has been increasing over the last few years. Some authors indicate that stabilization of soil physical properties is reached after some years under NT while other authors debate this. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the last crop in the rotation sequence (1st year: maize, 2nd year: soybean, 3rd year: wheat/soybean) on soil pore configuration and hydraulic properties in two different soils (site 1: loam, site 2: sandy loam) from the Argentinean Pampas region under long-term NT treatments in order to determine if stabilization of soil physical properties is reached apart from a specific time in the crop sequence. In addition, we compared two procedures for evaluating water-conducting macroporosities, and evaluated the efficiency of the pedotransfer function ROSETTA in estimating the parameters of the van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) model in these soils. Soil pore configuration and hydraulic properties were not stable and changed according to the crop sequence and the last crop grown in both sites. For both sites, saturated hydraulic conductivity, K0, water-conducting macroporosity, εma, and flow-weighted mean pore radius, R0ma, increased from the 1st to the 2nd year of the crop sequence, and this was attributed to the creation of water-conducting macropores by the maize roots. The VGM model adequately described the water retention curve (WRC) for these soils, but not the hydraulic conductivity (K) vs tension (h) curve. The ROSETTA function failed in the estimation of these parameters. In summary, mean values of K0 ranged from 0.74 to 3.88 cm h-1. In studies on NT effects on soil physical properties, the crop effect must be considered.

Use of the no-till system in Argentina is under continuous expansion. The machinery used in this system, characterized by a high axle load, is often used beyond the recommendable soil-moisture range and has led to a generalized increment in the bulk density of the soils. Hydraulic properties are the most affected by this process, and loosening is recommended to improve water entry into the soil profile. Different physico-mathematical models for estimating hydraulic properties based on use of the tension disc infiltrometer method give rise to different and often contradictory results. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of soil loosening on hydraulic properties in plots under no-till management with and without loosening practices, and to evaluate the performance of two theoretical models to detect differences between treatments. The studied variables were Steady State Flux (q∞), Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat) and Sorptivity (S0), working with a disc infiltrometer. Loosening led to an increase in Ksat with respect to the control. The level of Ksat did not change in control plots after harvesting traffic. In loosened plots, however, harvesting traffic led to a significant decrease in Ksat. Sorptivity values showed no clear dependency on measurement time, treatment or model, suggesting the need for further study. Moreover, it was concluded that q∞ obtained using the disc infiltrometer method could not always be taken as equivalent to Ksat.

La superficie bajo siembra directa continua se incrementa en forma sostenida. La maquinaria utilizada en dichos sistemas posee gran peso y muchas veces se utiliza fuera de los rangos de humedad aconsejados. Todo lleva a un aumento generalizado del fenómeno de densificación de los suelos. Las variables hidráulicas serían las más afectadas por este fenómeno. Para mejorar esta situación se ha propuesto el uso de la descompactación mediante un subsolador. El efecto de descompactación favorecería la entrada de agua en el perfil del suelo. Existe una serie de modelos físico-matemáticos para estimar valores de variables hidráulicas a partir de experimentos de infiltración, con un infiltrómetro de disco. Los resultados obtenidos con estos modelos son a veces contradictorios. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron evaluar el efecto de la tarea de descompactación sobre las variables hidráulicas en un suelo conducido en siembra directa con y sin tareas de descompactación y estudiar la sensibilidad de métodos físico-matemáticos para determinar el efecto sobre dichas variables. Las variables investigadas fueron Infiltración Básica (q∞), Conductividad Hidráulica Saturada (Ksat) y Sortividad (S0) a partir de ensayos con un infiltrómetro de disco. La descompactación produjo el aumento de la Ksat respecto del testigo. Luego del pasaje de la cosechadora no se verificaron cambios en dicha variable para el testigo, mientras que en el tratamiento con descompactación se registró una disminución significativa de Ksat. La S0 no mostró una tendencia clara en su dependencia con el momento del muestreo, el sistema de labranza o el modelo utilizado, lo que indica la necesidad de seguir investigando en este tema. Adicionalmente, se concluyó que la Infiltración Básica (q∞) obtenida con un infiltrómetro de disco no siempre es equivalente a Ksat.

Since several years the fractal fragmentation model has attracted the attention of researchers, as a logic way to describe and interprete observed particle size distributions. Textural analysis has shown to be very important because of its usefulness in the dignosis and inferences about soil functioning and use. Most popular methods of textural analysis employ sedimentation of particles in water using the hydrometer or the pipet. Both have the objective of determining the particle fraction remaining in suspension at predetermined time and to relate them with particle diameters. In the present work a new power law relationship between the mass fraction in suspension and the time was developed. Using this relationship it was possible to determine the fragmentation fractal dimension of a set of particles in sedimentation. The new equation has been checked with data obtained in this research by the Bouyoucos's hydrometer, and others published in the literature, using the Robinson's pipet method. The agreement between the model and the experimental data, using non linear regression, was excellent. Resulting fractal fragmentation dimensions ranged from 2.404 to 2.512, for samples from La Plata, Argentina, and between 2.434 and 2.819 for soils from California, USA. Determination coefficients, R², were always higher than 0.9.

Desde hace varios años, el modelo de fragmentación fractal ha atraido la atención de los investigadores, como un camino lógico para describir e interpretar distribuciones de partículas observadas. El análisis textural de un suelo ha mostrado ser muy importante, pues se utiliza para diagnosticar y predecir el funcionamiento y uso del mismo. Los métodos más populares para determinar la textura han sido los de sedimentación en agua utilizando el hidrómetro o la pipeta. Ambos tienen como objetivo encontrar la fracción de masa de partículas que se encuentran en suspensión a tiempos prefijados y relacionarla con los diámetros de las mismas. En este trabajo se ha desarrollado una nueva función potencial que relaciona la fracción de masa en suspensión con el tiempo de sedimentación. Utilizando la misma se puede determinar la dimensión fractal de fragmentación de una distribución de partículas en sedimentación. La nueva ecuación ha sido chequeada con datos propios obtenidos por el hidrómetro de Bouyoucos y otros publicados en la literatura, obtenidos mediante la pipeta de Robinson. El acuerdo logrado entre la teoría y los datos experimentales, mediante la técnica de regresión no lineal, ha sido excelente. Los valores de la dimensión fractal de fragmentación resultaron entre 2,404 y 2,512, para muestras de La Plata, Argentina, y entre 2,434 y 2,819 para los suelos de California, USA. El coeficiente de determinación, R², fue en todos los casos mayor que 0,9.