ABSTRACT Although nickel (Ni) is recognized as plant nutrient since the turn of the 21st century, uncertainty remains about its optimum application rates and forms. This paper focuses on Ni application in soils, relating to its effect as a plant micronutrient. Specifically, the effect of Ni on the activity of urease in soybean plants is examined. The effects of applying four Ni rates in two different soil types were tested. A full factorial 2 × 4 blocked design experiment was established under controlled conditions. Ni rates (0, 0.25, 0.5 and1.0 mg of Ni·kg–1 of soil) were applied in two soils with contrasting clay contents. The addition of Ni increased the urease activity in soybean plants but was affected by soil textural differences. The highest urease activity was achieved by the application of 1.0 mg·kg–1 Ni in the sandy soil. The absorption of Ni by the plants and its availability was found to be soil texture dependent. The rate of 0.25 mg·kg–1 Ni increased the soybean dry matter production by 25% in the sandy soil. In conclusion, Ni was effective in promoting plant growth and biomass accumulation although depending on soil clay proportion. For soybean, there was no correlation between urease activity and biomass accumulation. The results of this study indicate a clear Ni effect in different type of soils in São Paulo state, serving as a solid initial doses indicator for soybean fertilization programs and future studies on nickel in Soybean.

Metais pesados vêm se acumulando em solos brasileiros em razão de processos naturais, como deposições atmosféricas, ou atividades antropogênicas. Para alguns metais pesados, em condição de altas concentrações no solo, não existe um extrator especifico que avalie sua biodisponibilidade. Objetivou-se no presente trabalho, avaliar a biodisponibilidade dos elementos Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb e Zn para plantas de arroz e soja, utilizando diferentes extratores químicos. Neste estudo foram utilizadas sete amostras de solos com diferentes graus de contaminação, em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Foram determinados os teores disponíveis de Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb e Zn extraídos pelas soluções de Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1, DTPA e ácidos orgânicos, e os teores desses elementos em plantas de arroz e soja, cujos extratos foram analisado por ICP-OES. Observou-se que os extratores Mehlich-1, HCl 0,1 mol L-1 e DTPA foram eficientes para avaliar a disponibilidade de Cd, Cu, Pb e Zn para plantas de arroz e soja. O mesmo não foi observado para os extratores derivados de ácidos orgânicos.

Heavy metals have been accumulating in Brazilian soils, due to natural processes, such as atmospheric deposition, or human industrial activities. For certain heavy metals, when in high concentrations in the soil, there is no specific extractant to determine the availability of these elements in the soil. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the availability of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn for rice and soybeans, using different chemical extractants. In this study we used seven soil samples with different levels of contamination, in completely randomized experimental design with four replications. We determined the available concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn extracted by Mehlich-1, HCl 0.1 mol L-1, DTPA, and organic acid extractants and the contents in rice and soybeans, which extracts were analyzed by ICP-OES. It was observed that Mehlich-1, HCl 0.1 mol L-1 and DTPA extractants were effective to assess the availability of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn for rice and soybeans. However, the same was not observed for the organic acid extractant.