RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi avaliara dinâmica de decomposição de resíduos de culturas num pomar de pereiras no Brasil. Resíduos de aveia, nabo forrageiro, azevém e vegetação espontânea foram adicionados em sacos de decomposição depositados à superfície do solo nas linhas de cultivo das pereiras. Após 0, 21, 36, 56 e 136 dias, a matéria seca e os teores de carbono, lignina, celulose, componentes não estruturais e nitrogênio (N), fósforo (P), potássio (K), cálcio (Ca) e magnésio (Mg) foram determinados. Os resíduos de vegetação espontânea apresentaram o maior tempo de semi-vida em comparação com as culturas de cobertura cultivadas, enquanto os resíduos de aveia apresentaram as taxas de decomposição da matéria seca mais rápidas (2-3 vezes maior). O nabo forrageiro e o azevém apresentaram os maiores teores de matéria seca remanescente (26-36%) e a maior liberação de nutrientes. Os resíduos de nabo forrageiro e azevém liberaram 85 kg N ha-1, 67 kg P ha-1, 48 kg K ha-1, 16 kg Ca ha-1 e 9 kg Mg ha-1. O nabo forrageiro poderá beneficiar a nutrição mineral de fruteiras, enquanto a vegetação espontânea poderá contribuir para proteger o solo da erosão e para aumentar o teor de carbono orgânico acumulado no solo num longo prazo.

ABSTRACT Our objective was to evaluate the dynamics of decomposition of crop residues in a pear orchard in Brazil. Residues of oat, oilseed radish, ryegrass and spontaneous vegetation were placed in litter bags and deposited at surface soil in the inter-row spacing of pear trees. After 0, 21, 36, 56 and 136 days, the dry matter, carbon, lignin, cellulose, non-structural components, and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations were determined. Spontaneous vegetation residues had the longest half residence time compared to the introduced cover crops, while oat residues presented faster dry matter decomposition rates (2-3 fold higher). Oilseed radish and ryegrass showed the highest final remaining dry matter (26-36%), and the largest nutrients release. Oilseed radish and ryegrass residues released 85 kg N ha-1, 67 kg P ha-1, 48 kg K ha-1, 16 kg Ca ha-1, and 9 kg Mg ha-1. Oilseed radish can potentially benefit mineral nutrition of fruit trees, whereas the spontaneous vegetation is recommended to protect the soil agains the erosion and to contribute to the soil organic carbon stock in the long term.

ABSTRACT Cover crops grown alone or in association can take up different amounts of phosphorus (P) from the soil and accumulate it in different P-forms in plant tissue. Cover crop residues with a higher content of readily decomposed forms may release P more quickly for the next onion crop. The aim of this study was to evaluate the release of P forms from residues of single and mixed cover crops in agroecological no-till onion (Allium cepa L.) production. The experiment was conducted in Ituporanga, Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil, in an Inceptisol, with the following treatments: weeds, black oat (Avena sativa L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.), oilseed radish + black oat, and oilseed radish + rye. Cover crops were sown in April 2013. In July 2013, plant shoots were cut close to the soil surface and part of the material was placed in litterbags. The bags were placed on the soil surface and residues were collected at 0, 15, and 45 days after deposition (DAD). Residues were dried and ground and P in the plant tissue was determined through chemical fractionation. The release of P contained in the tissue of cover crops depends not only on total P content in the tissue, but also on the accumulation of P forms and the quality of the residue in decomposition. The highest accumulation of P in cover crops occurred in the soluble inorganic P fraction, which is the fraction of fastest release in plants. Black oat had the highest initial release rate of soluble inorganic P, which became equal to the release rate of other cover crop residues at 45 DAD. Weeds released only half the amount of soluble inorganic P in the same period, despite accumulating a considerable amount of P in their biomass. The mixtures of oilseed radish + rye and oilseed radish + black oat showed higher release of P associated with RNA at 45 DAD in comparison to the single treatments.

ABSTRACT Cover crops contribute to nutrient cycling and may improve soil chemical properties and, consequently, increase crop yield. The aim of this study was to evaluate cover crop residue decomposition and nutrient release, and the effects of these plants on soil chemical properties and on onion (Allium cepa L.) yield in a no-tillage system. The experiment was carried out in an Inceptisol in southern Brazil, where cover crops were sown in April 2012 and 2013. In July 2013, shoots of weeds (WD), black oats (BO), rye (RY), oilseed radish (RD), oilseed radish + black oats (RD + BO), and oilseed radish + rye (RD + RY) were cut at ground level and part of these material from each treatment was placed in litter bags. The litter bags were distributed on the soil surface and were collected at 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days after distribution (DAD). The residues in the litter bags were dried, weighed, and ground, and then analyzed to quantify lignin, cellulose, non-structural biomass, total organic carbon (TOC), N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. In November 2012 and 2013, onion crops were harvested to quantify yield, and bulbs were classified according to diameter, and the number of rotted and flowering bulbs was determined. Soil in the 0.00-0.10 m layer was collected for chemical analysis before transplanting and after harvesting onion in December 2012 and 2013. The rye plant residues presented the highest half-life and they released less nutrients until 90 DAD. The great permanence of rye residue was considered a protection to soil surface, the opposite was observed with spontaneous vegetation. The cultivation and addition of dry residue of cover crops increased the onion yield at 2.5 Mg ha-1.

Decorrente dos sistemas de manejo empregados no solo, como o sistema de preparo convencional (SPC) versus o sistema de plantio direto de hortaliças (SPDH), modificações nos atributos edáficos ocorrem; por exemplo, nos índices de agregação do solo e seu teor de carbono orgânico total (COT). Objetivaram-se quantificar os teores de COT e avaliar os índices de agregação do solo e a distribuição dos agregados por classes de diâmetro sob cultivo de cebola em SPDH e SPC, comparados a uma área de mata adjacente em Ituporanga, SC. Os tratamentos constituíram-se da semeadura de plantas de cobertura, solteiras e consorciadas, em SPDH: vegetação espontânea (VE); 100 % aveia; 100 % centeio; 100 % nabo-forrageiro; consórcio de nabo-forrageiro (14 %) e centeio (86 %); e consórcio de nabo-forrageiro (14 %) e aveia (86 %). Adicionalmente, foram avaliadas uma área de cultivo de cebola em SPC por ±37 anos e uma área de mata (floresta secundária; ±30 anos), ambas adjacentes ao experimento. Em setembro de 2013, cinco anos após a implantação dos tratamentos com plantas de cobertura, foram coletadas amostras indeformadas do solo nas camadas de 0-5, 5-10 e 10-20 cm e separados os agregados para avaliar a estabilidade via úmida. Nos agregados, foi quantificado o COT; após a separação em classes de diâmetro (8,00 mm>Ø≥0,105 mm), calcularam-se o diâmetro médio ponderado (DMP) e o geométrico (DMG) dos agregados; a distribuição deles em macroagregados (Ø≥2,0 mm), mesoagregados (2,0>Ø≥0,25 mm) e microagregados (Ø<0,25 mm); e o seu índice de sensibilidade (IS). Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e de componentes principais (ACP). Os maiores teores de COT foram encontrados na área de mata (52,83; 37,77; e 26,70 g kg-1, respectivamente para 0-5, 5-10 e 10-20 cm); e os menores, no SPC (18,23 g kg-1, 0-5 cm). Os tratamentos com plantas de cobertura, solteiras ou consorciadas, não apresentaram diferenças entre si (p≤0,05) para o COT, nem em relação à área testemunha (VE). O SPC apresentou os menores índices de DMP (3,425; 3,573; e 3,401 mm), DMG (2,438; 2,682; e 2,541 mm) e IS (0,77; 0,79; e 0,81), nas três camadas avaliadas. Para o DMP e DMG, não foram verificadas diferenças (p≤0,05) entre tratamentos no SPDH; porém, esses índices foram superiores aos do SPC; os de DMP, iguais aos da área de mata; e os de DMG, maiores na camada de 0-5 e 5-10 cm. Na camada de 10-20 cm, no SPDH, o tratamento com nabo-forrageiro apresentou maiores valores de DMP (4,520 mm), DMG (4,284 mm) e IS (1,07). Em relação à distribuição dos agregados por classes de diâmetro, o SPC evidenciou, respectivamente, os menores (14,22; 14,75; e 13,86 g) e maiores (4,94; 3,44; e 3,52 g/3,0; 3,0; e 3,76 g) valores para macro e meso/microagregados, enquanto o SPDH demonstrou maiores valores de macroagregados (médias de 19,90; 20,48; e 18,56 g) em comparação à mata (16,0; 16,31; e 15,47 g) e ao SPC (14,22; 14,75; e 13,86 g) nas três camadas avaliadas. O uso de plantas de cobertura, solteiras ou consorciadas, em SPD de cebola foi eficiente para recuperar e aumentar os teores de COT e os índices de DMP, DMG e IS em relação ao SPC; e, em comparação à área de mata, aumentou o DMG (0-5 e 5-10 cm). O nabo-forrageiro aumentou a agregação do solo (DMG e IS) na camada de 10-20 cm em relação aos demais tratamentos com plantas de cobertura. A ACP evidenciou a perda de COT e o aumento dos meso e microagregados no SPC, assim como a substituição do SPC por SPDH com plantas de cobertura elevou a formação de macroagregados estáveis em água, com posterior aumento do DMP, DMG e IS.

As a result of soil management systems, like the conventional tillage system (CTS) versus the no-tillage system (NTS) for vegetable crops, modifications in soil properties occur, which change, for example, the rates of soil aggregation and the content of total organic carbon (TOC). The aim of this study was to quantify the TOC contents and evaluate the rates of soil aggregation and the distribution of aggregates by diameter classes in a soil planted to onion in NTS and CTS and compare them to an adjacent forest area in Ituporanga, Santa Catarina, Brazil. We evaluated the following treatments, which consisted of planting cover crops, alone and intercropped, in NTS: spontaneous vegetation (SV); 100 % oats; 100 % rye; 100 % wild radish; intercropping of wild radish (14 %) and rye (86 %); and intercropping of wild radish (14 %) and oats (86 %). We also evaluated an onion-growing area under CTS for ±37 years, and a forest area (secondary forest for ±30 years), both adjacent to the experimental area. In September 2013, five years after setting up treatments with cover crops, undisturbed soil samples were collected from the 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm soil layers, and aggregates were separated to assess stability by the wet method. In the aggregates, we quantified TOC and, after separation into diameter classes (8.00 mm>Ø≥0.105 mm), we calculated the mean weighted diameter (MWD) and mean geometric diameter (MGD) of the aggregates, the distribution of the aggregates in macroaggregates (Ø≥2.0 mm), mesoaggregates (2.0>Ø≥0.25 mm), and microaggregates (Ø<0.25 mm), and the aggregate sensitivity index (SI). Data underwent analysis of variance and principal component analysis (PCA). The highest TOC contents were found in the forest area (52.83, 37.77, and 26.70 g kg1 for the depths of 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm, respectively) and the lowest in the CTS (18.23 g kg-1, 0-5 cm). Treatments with cover crops, alone or intercropped, did not differ among themselves (p≤0.05) for TOC, or in relation to the control area (SV). The CTS had the lowest rates of MWD (3.425, 3.573, and 3.401 mm), MGD (2.438, 2.682, and 2.541 mm) and SI (0.77, 0.79, and 0.81) in the three layers evaluated. For MWD and MGD, differences were not observed (p≤0.05) among treatments in NTS, but these rates were higher than the rates of CTS; the MWD readings were equal to the forest area; and the MGD readings were higher in the 0-5 and 5-10 cm layers. In the 10-20 cm layer, in the NTS, treatment with wild radish showed higher values of MWD (4.520 mm), MGD (4.284 mm), and SI (1.07). Regarding the distribution of aggregates by diameter classes, the CTS showed the smallest (14.22, 14.75, and 13.86 g) values for macroaggregates, and largest (4.94, 3.44, and 3.2 g/3.0, 3.0, and 3.76 g) values for meso-/microaggregates, respectively. The NTS showed higher macroaggregate values (means of 19.90, 20.48, and 18.56 g) compared to the forest area (16.0, 16.31, and 15.47 g) and to the CTS (14.22, 14.75, and 13.86 g) in the three layers evaluated. The use of cover crops, alone or intercropped, in NTS of onion was quick in recovering and increasing the TOC and the MWD, MGD, and SI indices in relation to the CTS, and, compared to the forest area, the MGD increased (0-5 and 5-10 cm). Oilseed radish increased soil aggregation (MGD and SI) in the 10-20 cm layer compared to the other treatments with cover crops. The PCA showed loss of TOC, and increase in the meso- and microaggregates of CTS, just as the substitution of CTS for NTS with cover plants increased the formation of macroaggregates stable in water, with a subsequent increase in the MWD, MGD, and SI indices.