ABSTRACT Synthetic fertilizers have high solubility and when leached through the soil can have environmental and economic impact. Minerals with high cationic exchange capacity, such as zeolites, can reduce nutrient loss. We compared the effect of zeolites enriched with nutrients (NH4+ and K+) and conventional fertilizers on kale growth. Experiments were conducted with 30 pots containing a substrate with: (i) nutrient-enriched zeolites and a phosphate salt (Z-NK+P); (ii) NH4+, K+ and P salts (NPK); (iii) no additional nutrients (control). After three months, we evaluated kale productivity, absorption of nutrients and nutrient loss on the percolated water. The Z-NK+P and NPK treatments had a higher kale growth and retained more water volume in the first and third month, compared to the control. The NPK treatment released more NH4+ (54%) and K+ (92.9%) in percolated water than the zeolite treatment (15.5% K+ and 22.4% NH4+) in all the comparisons and had a higher K+ concentration in its leaves than control. Both fertilizations were efficient in providing nutrients to the plants; however, zeolites present the advantage by releasing the nutrients gradually, reducing their loss and potentially minimizing environmental and economic impact. impact capacity NH4 NH (NH4 K 3 i (i nutrientenriched ZNK+P ZNKP Z NK+P NK (Z-NK+P) ii (ii (NPK) iii (iii control . (control) months productivity month 54% 54 (54% 92.9% 929 92 9 (92.9% 15.5% 155 15 5 (15.5 224 22 4 22.4 plants however gradually (NH ZNK NKP (Z-NK+P (NPK (control (54 92.9 (92.9 15.5 1 (15. 2 22. (5 92. (92. 15. (15 ( (92 (1 (9

ABSTRACT Plants interact in positive ways, facilitating each other. We can use this facilitative effect in agriculture by intercropping crop plants with aromatic plants that provide benefits such as the repulsion of pests, resulting in a reduction of agrochemical inputs and higher crop productivity. Considering this potential benefit, we conducted a study in an olive grove to test the effect of the aromatic plants basil (Ocimum basilicum) and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) on olive (Olea europaea) production. We planted six aromatic saplings under olive trees (20 trees with basil and 20 with rosemary) and selected 20 olive trees with no aromatic plants as a control group. To estimate the productivity of olive trees, we measured the number of inflorescences per tree, the number of fruits, and the average fruit weight. After nine months, we did not find a significant difference in the productivity of olive trees intercropped with aromatic plants compared to olives without the association. However, basil and rosemary had low mortality rates and showed substantial growth. Consequently, while probably not increasing olive production, the absence of negative effects on olive productivity indicates that intercropping aromatic plants and olives is viable and might provide diversification and economic resilience to small farmers. ways other pests benefit Ocimum basilicum Salvia rosmarinus Olea europaea production (2 2 group tree fruits weight months association However growth Consequently farmers (

A produção e a decomposição de serrapilheira são processos vitais nas florestas tropicais, uma vez que determinam a ciclagem de nutrientes. O processo de ciclagem de nutrientes pode ser alterado pela fragmentação florestal. A Floresta Atlântica é um dos biomas mais ameaçados mundialmente devido à ocupação humana nos últimos 500 anos. Este cenário resultou em fragmentos de diferentes tamanhos, idades e estádios de regeneração. Para explorar as diferenças na produção de serrapilheira e na decomposição foliar de acordo com o estádio sucessional da floresta, comparamos seis fragmentos florestais em três diferentes estádios sucessionais e uma área de floresta primária no Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo, Brasil. Coletamos a serrapilheira mensalmente de novembro de 2008 a outubro de 2009. Utilizamos bolsas de confinamento de serrapilheira para calcular a taxa de decomposição foliar de uma espécie exótica, Tipuana tipu (Fabaceae), durante o mesmo período de coleta da serrapilheira. A deposição de serrapilheira foi maior na área de estádio sucessional mais inicial. Esse padrão pode estar relacionado com as características estruturais dos fragmentos florestais, especialmente com a maior abundância de espécies pioneiras, que possuem uma maior produtividade e são espécies típicas de fragmentos em estádios iniciais de sucessão. Por outro lado, não encontramos diferenças significativas nas taxas de decomposição entre as áreas estudadas, o que pode ocorrer devido à rápida estabilização do ambiente de decomposição (efeito combinado das condições microclimáticas e das atividades dos decompositores). Estes resultados indicam que o processo de decomposição foliar foi restabelecido aos níveis das florestas maduras após algumas décadas de regeneração, embora a produção de serrapilheira ainda não tenha sido totalmente restaurada. Este estudo destaca a importância das florestas secundárias em um cenário regional de restauração de processos ecossistêmicos.

Litterfall and litter decomposition are vital processes in tropical forests because they regulate nutrient cycling. Nutrient cycling can be altered by forest fragmentation. The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biomes in the world due to human occupation over the last 500 years. This scenario has resulted in fragments of different size, age and regeneration phase. To investigate differences in litterfall and leaf decomposition between forest successional phases, we compared six forest fragments at three different successional phases and an area of mature forest on the Atlantic Plateau of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We sampled litter monthly from November 2008 to October 2009. We used litterbags to calculate leaf decomposition rate of an exotic species, Tipuana tipu (Fabaceae), over the same period litter sampling was performed. Litterfall was higher in the earliest successional area. This pattern may be related to the structural properties of the forest fragments, especially the higher abundance of pioneer species, which have higher productivity and are typical of early successional areas. However, we have not found significant differences in the decomposition rates between the studied areas, which may be caused by rapid stabilization of the decomposition environment (combined effect of microclimatic conditions and the decomposers activities). This result indicates that the leaf decomposition process have already been restored to levels observed in mature forests after a few decades of regeneration, although litterfall has not been entirely restored. This study emphasizes the importance of secondary forests for restoration of ecosystem processes on a regional scale.