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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #122973
Title: SOIL BIOCHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS IN NATIVE AND TILLED BRAZILIAN CERRADO SOILS

Author
item Stott, Diane
item GREEN, V - PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: World Congress of Soil Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2001
Publication Date: 9/15/2001
Citation: STOTT, D.E., GREEN, V.S. SOIL BIOCHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS IN NATIVE AND TILLED BRAZILIAN CERRADO SOILS. CD-ROM. BANGKOK, THAILAND: WORLD CONGRESS OF SOIL SCIENCE. 2001.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Brazilian Cerrado is undergoing a rapid increase in capital-intensive agricultural development. There is limited knowledge on the baseline soil quality of these soils, especially biochemical properties. Enzyme activities are sensitive to soil management and often show signs of soil degradation before other indicators. We hypothesized that that enzymatic activities in the soils under native vegetation would follow the P content; that among the managed soils, no-till soils would have the highest biological activity and organic C content, but it would be concentrated in the surface layer; and that the managed no-till soil would have higher activity than the comparable native vegetation soil due to P deficiencies. Soil samples were collected from 15 sites in a two-state area, as well as managed plots at the EMBRAPA research facility near Sete Lagoas, MG. Soil analyses included: acid phosphatase, aggregate stability, arylamidase, arylsulfatase, beta-glucosidase, bulk density, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, and surface sealing potential. Initial analyzes indicated that as available P and organic C decreased under native vegetation, biochemical activity and structural stability also decreased. Benchmark soil quality levels were established for these sites. When managed, the no-till soils maintained the highest activities and C content, followed by the disk harrow system, and then the disk plow system. The no-till soil had slightly less activity than the soil under native vegetation. In these tropical soils, a no-till management system is likely to be more sustainable.