ABSTRACT: Soil physical quality in lowlands from the Pampa biome under no-tillage (NT) plays an important role; therefore, this study aimed to establish a soil physical quality index (SPQi) from a minimum data set to detect the effects of different deployment times of NT in an Albaqualf. The comparison of areas with one (NT1), three (NT3), five (NT5) and seven (NT7) years of notillage was established using as reference a non-cultivated field plot (NC) for at least thirty years, nearby the sites under NT. Soil samples with undisturbed and disturbed structure were collected to determine the physical quality indicators and soil organic matter (SOM) fractions. The factor analysis (FA) was used to identify and select a minimum data set. The SPQi was elaborated by using the deviations of the measured indicators at different deployment times of NT in relation to NC. The SPQi showed sensibility to identify and explain soil physical quality changes with different deployment times of NT. In well-drained lands, higher deployment times of no-tillage promote the physical quality of lowlands.

Management systems may influence the structural quality of soils. Tensile strength (TS) and friability (F) are indicators of soil structural quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the TS and F of an Alfisol under different management systems. The treatments were as follows: (i) soil under conventional system with growing maize after tobacco cultivation, (ii) soil under conventional system with growing maize after use as pasture, (iii) soil under natural pasture, and (iv) a natural area with predominance of spontaneous vegetation. TS and F were evaluated at depths of 0.00-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m. The water content of soil aggregates, soil particle-size distribution, total organic carbon, carbon in the coarse fraction and carbon associated with minerals were also determined. The increase in clay content and soil organic carbon influences the values of TS. The lowest TS was for the soil under maize cultivation after tobacco in the conventional system. Soil under natural area in the 0.05-0.10 m layer was classified as slightly friable, while other systems were classified as friable. Evaluations of the structural quality of soils under management systems can be performed using TS. However, F was not efficient in detecting changes between the different management systems.

A construção do solo após a mineração de carvão a céu aberto envolve intenso tráfego de máquinas durante a recomposição topográfica da área, acarretando a compactação das suas camadas repostas, o que gera problemas de infiltração e redistribuição da água ao longo do novo perfil, facilita a erosão hídrica e, consequentemente, dificulta a revegetação do solo construído. O uso de plantas que auxiliam no processo de descompactação do solo constitui-se em importante estratégia na recuperação da qualidade estrutural do solo. Este trabalho analisou a influência de diferentes gramíneas perenes na recuperação da agregação de um solo construído na área de mineração de carvão da Companhia Riograndense de Mineração, localizado em Candiota, RS, implantadas em setembro/outubro de 2007. Os tratamentos estudados foram: T1 - Cynodon dactylon cv vaquero; T2 - Urochloa brizantha; T3 - Panicum maximun; T4 - Urochloa humidicola; T5 - Hemarthria altissima; e T6 - Cynodon dactylon cv tifton 85. Como testemunha, foi utilizada uma área com solo construído sem plantas de cobertura, adjacente à área experimental, denominado T7; e, como referência, uma área com solo natural à frente da mineração, denominada T8. Amostras de solo não preservadas e preservadas foram coletadas em outubro/2009, nas camadas de 0,00-0,05 e 0,10-0,15 m, determinando-se porcentagem de macro e microagregados, diâmetro médio ponderado de agregados (DMP), teor de matéria orgânica, densidade do solo, macro e microporosidade. Os menores valores de macroagregados e do DMP da camada de 0,00-0,05 m do solo construído em relação à camada subsuperficial resultaram do alto grau de compactação dessa, ocasionada pelo tráfego de máquinas pesadas sobre o material argiloso. Após 24 meses de condução do experimento, todos os tratamentos apresentaram melhorias na agregação do solo, quando comparados ao solo construído sem plantas de cobertura (testemunha), principalmente na camada de 0,00-0,05 m, com destaque para as duas espécies de Urochloa (T2 e T4) e a Hermathria altissima (T5). No entanto, as grandes diferenças entre os tratamentos com gramíneas e o solo natural (referência) sugeriram um tempo muito longo para a recuperação das condições estruturais do solo anteriores à mineração.

The construction of a soil after surface coal mining involves heavy machinery traffic during the topographic regeneration of the area, resulting in compaction of the relocated soil layers. This leads to problems with water infiltration and redistribution along the new profile, causing water erosion and consequently hampering the revegetation of the reconstructed soil. The planting of species useful in the process of soil decompaction is a promising strategy for the recovery of the soil structural quality. This study investigated the influence of different perennial grasses on the recovery of reconstructed soil aggregation in a coal mining area of the Companhia Riograndense de Mineração, located in Candiota-RS, which were planted in September/October 2007. The treatments consisted of planting: T1- Cynodon dactylon cv vaquero; T2 - Urochloa brizantha; T3 - Panicum maximun; T4 - Urochloa humidicola; T5 - Hemarthria altissima; T6 - Cynodon dactylon cv tifton 85. Bare reconstructed soil, adjacent to the experimental area, was used as control treatment (T7) and natural soil adjacent to the mining area covered with native vegetation was used as reference area (T8). Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected in October/2009 (layers 0.00-0.05 and 0.10-0.15 m) to determine the percentage of macro- and microaggregates, mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates, organic matter content, bulk density, and macro- and microporosity. The lower values of macroaggregates and MWD in the surface than in the subsurface layer of the reconstructed soil resulted from the high degree of compaction caused by the traffic of heavy machinery on the clay material. After 24 months, all experimental grass treatments showed improvements in soil aggregation compared to the bare reconstructed soil (control), mainly in the 0.00-0.05 m layer, particularly in the two Urochloa treatments (T2 and T4) and Hemarthria altissima (T5). However, the great differences between the treatments with grasses and natural soil (reference) indicate that the recovery of the pre-mining soil structure could take decades.

A pressão de preconsolidação, apesar das dificuldades inerentes à sua obtenção, representa uma medida útil do estado mecânico do solo para o seu uso, manejo e planejamento de sistemas de mecanização. A estimativa da pressão de preconsolidação, a partir de propriedades do solo facilmente mensuráveis, é, portanto, uma alternativa que pode ser utilizada para contornar as dificuldades. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: (a) quantificar a pressão de preconsolidação e a resistência do solo à penetração, em laboratório e em campo, para um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo, sob pomar de laranja, e (b) estabelecer a relação entre ambos os indicadores físicos. A amostragem e as avaliações foram realizadas em oito dias consecutivos, acompanhando o secamento natural do solo. Houve relação significativa, positiva e linear entre a pressão de preconsolidação e a resistência do solo à penetração, medida no laboratório e no campo. A similaridade das relações entre resistência à penetração, obtida no campo e em laboratório, e a pressão de preconsolidação permitiu afirmar que a capacidade de suporte de carga pode ser adequadamente estimada a partir da resistência de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico à penetração medida diretamente no campo.

The preconsolidation pressure, despite the difficulties inherent to its measurement, provides a useful measure of the soil mechanical state for soil management and the planning of mechanization systems. The estimation of the preconsolidation pressure, based on easily measurable soil physical properties, may be relevant to solve some difficulties. The objectives of this study were: (a) to quantify the preconsolidation pressure and soil resistance to penetration measured in the laboratory and the field for a Haplustox under orange orchard, and (b) to establish relationships between these physical indicators. Sampling and evaluations were carried out on eight consecutive days to observe the natural soil drying. There was a positive, linear, and significant relationship between the preconsolidation pressure and soil resistance to penetration measured in the laboratory as well as in the field. The similarity of the relationships among soil resistance to penetration measured in the laboratory and the field and the preconsolidation pressure allowed affirming that the load support capacity for the Haplustox may be estimated from the soil resistance to penetration measured in the field.

Foram avaliados os efeitos de doses crescentes de Cr6+ sobre a produção de matéria seca, absorção de nutrientes e fixação biológica de nitrogênio em plantas de soja. Antes da semeadura, as sementes foram tratadas com inóculo turfoso contendo Bradyrhizobium japonicum. As plantas foram cultivadas durante 40 dias em vasos "Leonard" que continha areia na parte superior e solução nutritiva sem nitrogênio na parte inferior. Os tratamentos constaram das seguintes doses de Cr6+ (K2Cr2O7) na solução nutritiva: 0, 5, 10, 20 e 40mg<img src="http:/img/fbpe/cr/v31n6/a08img01.gif"> -1. Foi constatado que concentrações de Cr6+ maiores que 5mg<img src="http:/img/fbpe/cr/v31n6/a08img01.gif"> -1 diminuíram a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea e radicular da soja, o número e peso de nódulos secos de Bradyrhizobium, como também a fixação biológica de nitrogênio e a absorção de P, K, Ca e Mg. Teores de Cr na parte aérea de plantas de soja superiores a 3,4mg Kg-1 podem ser considerados fitotóxicos.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of hexavalent chromium on dry matter production, nutrient uptake and nitrogen fixation in soybeans (Glycine max ) The seeds were inoculated with comercial strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum (SEMIA 587 and 5019) and the plants were grown in "Leonard Jars" containing washed sand in the upper portion and nutrient solution (without N) in the lower. Five Cr6+ concentrations were used: 0, 5, 10, 20 e 40mg<img src="http:/img/fbpe/cr/v31n6/a08img01.gif"> -1 in the nutrient solution. Concentrations of Cr6+ above 5mg<img src="http:/img/fbpe/cr/v31n6/a08img01.gif"> -1 decreased plants and nodules dry matter production, number of nodules, nitrogen fixation and P, K, Ca e Mg uptake. Chromium concentrations in soybean tops above 3,4mg kg-1 were considered phytotoxic.