Selection of Indicators to Discriminate Soil Tillage Systems and to Assess Soil Quality in a Red Latosol

Abstract The soil tillage practiced over a long period of time impacts soil quality. The first step in soil quality assessment is to select which indicators should be used. The objective of this study was to identify the soil attributes that discriminate soil tillage systems and can be used as indicators for soil quality assessments. Sixteen soil physical and chemical attributes were evaluated: macroporosity (MaP), microporosity (MiP), total porosity (TP), bulk density (BD), field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), soil resistance to penetration (SRP), pH (H2O), pH (CaCl2), aluminium (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), available phosphorus (P), total organic carbon (TOC), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation (BS), of a very clayey Red Latosol, cultivated for a long period in no-till (NT), conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT). The soil attributes (indicators) were selected using canonical discriminant analysis. MiP, Kfs, pH (CaCl2), Ca, Mg, CEC e BS were the most efficient indicators to discriminate soil tillage systems. In the indicator interpretation step was sustained MiP as the indicator that represents the function of physical stability and support, Kfs as the indicator that represents the function of water relations, BS as the indicator that represents the function of nutrient cycling and pH (CaCl2) as the indicator that represents the function of filtering and buffering. These indicators can be used for future soil quality assessment and monitoring of tillage systems in similar regions and conditions.

Association between parent materials and soil attributes along different geological environments in western Pará, Brazil / Associação entre materiais de origem e atributos de solos ao longo de diferentes ambientes geológicos no oeste do Pará, Brasil

The expansion of the agricultural frontier into different geological environments in the west of the state of Pará, northern Brazil, makes it necessary to know the influence of the parent material on local soil attributes. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different parent materials on five soil profiles along a lithosequence exposed by the BR-163 highway, which runs from north to south through western Pará. The soils were classified, morphologically described and their main horizons sampled for physical, mineralogical and chemical analyses, including the determination of micronutrients, forms of phosphorus and secondary forms of iron. Multivariate analysis was used to group the different soil-parent material associations. The results demonstrated that the diversity of the parent material was a determinant of soil attributes, and was a conditioning factor for the formation of different clay minerals. Multivariate analysis grouped the soils along the lithosequence into a group formed by profiles derived from basic and intermediate igneous rocks, and a second group consisting of profiles derived from sediments and sedimentary rocks. The profile derived from acidic igneous rock showed greater similarity with the profiles derived from sedimentary materials in comparison to those derived from other igneous rocks.

A expansão da fronteira agrícola em diferentes ambientes geológicos no oeste do Estado do Pará, norte do Brasil, torna necessário conhecer a influência do material de origem sobre os atributos dos solos locais. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a influência de diferentes materiais de origem sobre cinco perfis de solo ao longo de uma litosequência exposta pela rodovia BR-163, que vai de norte a sul pelo oeste do Pará. Os solos foram classificados, morfologicamente descritos e seus principais horizontes amostrados para análises físicas, mineralógicas e químicas, incluindo a determinação de micronutrientes, formas de fósforo e formas secundárias de ferro. Análises multivariadas foram usadas para agrupar as diferentes associações solo-material de origem. Os resultados demonstraram que a diversidade do material de origem foi determinante para os atributos do solo, sendo um fator condicionante para a formação de diferentes argilominerais. A análise multivariada agrupou os solos ao longo da litosequência em um grupo formado por perfis derivados de rochas ígneas básicas e intermediárias, e um segundo grupo constituído por perfis derivados de sedimentos e rochas sedimentares. O perfil derivado de rocha ígnea ácida apresentou maior similaridade com os perfis derivados de materiais sedimentares em comparação àqueles derivados de outras rochas ígneas.