Changes in Physical Properties of Soils with Land Use Time in the Brazilian Savanna Environment

Soils from central Brazil have been intensively used over the last decades because of the rapid conversion of savannas ( Cerrado ) into corn/soybean fields. The objective of this work is to study modifications in the physical properties of soils in the Rio Verde watershed, as a function of the land use time for agriculture, determined from classification of Landsat satellite images between 1980 and 2010. Soil samples were collected at surface (0–20 cm) and subsurface (20–40 cm) horizons for the different classes of land use time (<10, 10–20, 20–30, and >30 years). The following physical properties were measured: bulk density (BD), air permeability (K_a), penetration resistance (PR), microporosity (MI), macroporosity (MA), and total porosity (TP). Results showed a strong expansion with time of agriculture that occupied 35·3% (1980), 37·4% (1990), 51·3% (2000), and 60·9% (2010) of the watershed area. When properties were compared with those from the reference areas (preserved soils under native vegetation), significant differences were observed for all the physical attributes of soils for a land use time higher than 20 years. Overall, BD and PR increased with land use time, and the opposite was verified for K_a, MA, and TP. Some physical properties presented values (e.g., 1·54 g cm⁻³ for BD and 0.06 cm³ cm⁻³ for MA) close to the critical ones reported to affect crop development, but they were not still impacting on local soybean yield. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of Genetic Gain in Sweet Corn using Selection Indexes

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - The cultivation of sweet corn is expanding in Brazil, but there are serious constraints about the availability of commercial cultivars. The selection of...     

Retention of dissolved organic matter by illitic soils and clay fractions: Influence of mineral phase properties

The dependency of the retention of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on mineral phase properties in soils remains uncertain especially at neutral pH. To specifically elucidate the role of mineral surfaces and pedogenic oxides for DOC retention at pH 7, we sorbed DOC to bulk soil (illitic surface soils of a toposequence) and corresponding clay fraction (< 2 μm) samples after the removal of organic matter and after removal of organic matter and pedogenic oxides. The DOC retention was related to the content of dithionite‐extractable iron, specific surface area (SSA, BET‐N₂ method) and cation exchange capacity (pH 7). The reversibility of DOC sorption was determined by a desorption experiment. All samples sorbed 20–40 % of the DOC added. The DOC sorption of the clay fractions explained the total sorption of the bulk soils. None of the mineral phase properties investigated was able to solely explain the DOC retention. A sorption of 9 to 24 μg DOC m^–2 indicated that DOC interacted only with a fraction of the mineral surface, since loadings above 500 μg m^–2 would be expected for a carbon monolayer. Under the experimental conditions used, the surface of the silicate clay minerals seemed to be more important for the DOC sorption than the surface of the iron oxides. The desorption experiment removed 11 to 31 % of the DOC sorbed. Most of the DOC was strongly sorbed.     

Changes in surface reactivity and organic matter composition of clay subfractions with duration of fertilizer deprivation

Preservation of organic matter in soils depends on the chemical structure of organic compounds and on the surface properties of the mineral matrix. We tested the effect of mineral surface reactivity on organic matter decomposition by (i) investigating changes of organic matter composition in clay subfractions of an illitic Haplic Chernozem along a time series of fertilizer deprivation and (ii) simultaneously characterizing the reactivity of mineral surfaces. The soil was subjected to fertilizer deprivation for 18, 44 and 98 years, respectively. Mineral surface properties were characterized by selective dissolution of pedogenic oxides. The number of hydroxyls released after exposure to sodium fluoride was taken as an index for mineral surface reactivity. Organic soil constituents were determined by ¹³C cross‐polarization magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C CPMAS NMR). Clay subfractions had different mineral surface properties. The coarse fractions have more reactive surfaces and contain more organic carbon than the fine clay fractions. Mineral surface properties are constant over time and are not affected by fertilizer deprivation. Surface reactivity is a function of iron oxide density and controls carbon concentrations in the clay subfractions. Within the time frame of our investigation, alkyl C and aromatic C responded to the duration of fertilizer deprivation, but were indifferent to mineral surface reactivity. O–alkyl C seems to be protected by interactions with pedogenic oxides.     

Poorly crystalline mineral phases protect organic matter in acid subsoil horizons

Soil minerals are known to influence the biological stability of soil organic matter (SOM). Our study aimed to relate properties of the mineral matrix to its ability to protect organic C against decomposition in acid soils. We used the amount of hydroxyl ions released after exposure to NaF solution to establish a reactivity gradient spanning 12 subsoil horizons collected from 10 different locations. The subsoil horizons represent six soil orders and diverse geological parent materials. Phyllosilicates were characterized by X-ray diffraction and pedogenic oxides by selective dissolution procedures. The organic carbon (C) remaining after chemical removal of an oxidizable fraction of SOM with NaOCl solution was taken to represent a stable organic carbon pool. Stable organic carbon was confirmed as older than bulk organic carbon by a smaller radiocarbon (¹⁴C) content after oxidation in all 12 soils. The amount of stable organic C did not depend on clay content or the content of dithionite–citrate-extractable Fe. The combination of oxalate-extractable Fe and Al explained the greatest amount of variation in stable organic C (R² = 0.78). Our results suggest that in acid soils, organic matter is preferentially protected by interaction with poorly crystalline minerals represented by the oxalate-soluble Fe and Al fraction. This evidence suggests that ligand exchange between mineral surface hydroxyl groups and negatively charged organic functional groups is a quantitatively important mechanism in the stabilization of SOM in acid soils. The results imply a finite stabilization capacity of soil minerals for organic matter, limited by the area density of reactive surface sites.     

An Andosol from Eastern Saxony,Germany

We tested whether a ‘Lockerbraunerde’ from the heights of the Zittauer Gebirge in Eastern Saxony exhibited andic properties and classified it according to the rules of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB, 1998). To achieve this, we characterized a selected soil by means of routine soil analysis; selective dissolution procedures; X‐ray diffraction (XRD); X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We used field criteria (Thixotropy; NaF‐field test) to obtain a map of the spatial distribution of soils with potential andic properties. We found that the soil fulfilled all requirements to be classified as an Andosol. The composition of the colloidal phases was exactly intermediate between sil‐andic and alu‐andic. At the same time, the soil had a spodic horizon [determined through the depth function of the Al_o+½Fe_o criterion]. As there was no indication of vertical translocation of metal‐organic complexes, but sufficient evidence to suggest the downward movement of mobile Al/Si‐phases, we maintain to classify the soil as an Endoskeleti‐Umbric Andosol and propose the existence of a pedogenetic pathway intermediate between Podsolisation and Andosolization. We conclude that the spodic horizon in the WRB is not well defined because of the dominance of the Al_o+½Fe_o criterion over morphological evidence. We further suggest the German soil taxonomy to be modified to better represent soils containing short range order minerals.     

Thermal comfort indices assessed in integrated production systems in the Brazilian savannah

The objective was to evaluate the animal thermal comfort indices from two integrated crop-livestock-forestry (ICLF) systems. For this, temperature–humidity index (THI), black globe temperature and humidity index (BGHI), and the radiant thermal load (RTL) were assessed. Two ICLF (ICLF-1 and ICLF-2) systems and one control system were established. On the ICLF systems, the arboreal component was the eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla; H13 clone), planted in simple wide-spaced rows. The ICLF-1 system had a tree spacing of 14 × 2 m with 357 trees per hectare, and the ICLF-2 had a tree spacing of 22 × 2 m with 227 trees per hectare. The control system had five scattered native trees per hectare, pertaining to Gochnatia and Dipteryx species. The forage component in all three systems was piatã-grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Piatã). The experimental design was a randomized block in a sub-subplot design scheme with four replications. The presence of shade provided by the trees offered better conditions of animal comfort when compared with the condition of full sun. The ICLF-1 system, with higher tree density, provided better indicators for thermal comfort, THI, BGHI, and RTL when compared with the condition of full sun, while ICLF-2 was no different than ICLF-1 for BGHI.     

Dietary Protein Hydrolysates from Animal By-Products: Digestibility and Enzymatic Activity for Dourado Salminus brasiliensis

Fishmeal (FM) is a high-cost and scarce feedstuff. Notwithstanding, the formulation and processing of diets for carnivorous fish strongly rely on FM as a protein source, given its palatability and biological value. Animal by-product hydrolysates are high-quality feedstuff and can substitute FM in aquafeeds. This study evaluated the digestibility of hydrolysates from tilapia residue (TR), tuna head (TH), swine liver (SL), and poultry liver (PL), and the profile of digestive enzymes in juvenile dourado, Salminus brasiliensis, a carnivorous Characin, fed diets containing graded levels of the hydrolysates. Inclusion of hydrolysates in diet formulations lowered the pH of feed but did not alter feed intake by fish. Higher apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of diets were recorded for fish fed diets containing TR and SL, and lower ADCs were recorded for fish fed diets containing TH. Protease and lipase activities in the animal’s stomach were higher, especially for those fed with diets containing SL. Amylase activity was higher in pyloric caeca, whereas in the intestines, the higher activity was seen in fish fed control and TR diets. Animal by-product hydrolysates were highly digestible for dourado, and the enzymatic profile of fish was influenced by the nutrient contents of diets.     

Sodium fluorescein as an internal tracer on the location of bovine urine patches in pastures

Sodium fluorescein (SF) was evaluated and validated as an internal marker in cattle for the location of urine patches in pastures. Three trials were carried out aiming at the following: evaluating the effect of dilution and volume of application on SF fluorescence on the environment; testing dosages and duration of excretion of SF administered orally to cattle; and validating the methodology for SF use on the location of cattle urine patches in pastures. The marker was tested in beef cattle kept on pastures under three grazing systems: degraded pasture under extensive management (De), intensively managed dryland pasture with high stocking rate (Id) and intensively managed irrigated pasture with high stocking rate (Ii). Besides the localization of urination sites, the number of urinations/animal/d and the area covered by urine were also determined. The residue of SF remained fluorescent in the pasture foliage up to 34 h after urination events, allowing the location of urine patches by a black‐light flashlight. There was no difference between grazing systems in the number of urine patches/animal/d during the rainy and dry seasons. The average number of urine patches was approximately 11/animal/d. As expected, the estimated volume and area covered by urine varied according to the stocking density. The chosen SF dose (50 mg kg^?1 LW) did not adversely affect the animals when administered once daily during 2 d. However, the same SF dose administered during four consecutive days caused urinary disorder in the animal. The distribution of urine patches was spatially dependent on specific characteristics of the paddock.