ABSTRACT
The use of living mulch with legumes is increasing but the impact of this management technique on the soil microbial pool is not well known. In this work, the effect of different live mulches was evaluated in relation to the C, N and P pools of the microbial biomass, in a Typic Alfisol of Seropédica, RJ, Brazil. The field experiment was divided in two parts: the first, consisted of treatments set in a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial combination of the following factors: live mulch species (Arachis pintoi and Macroptilium atropurpureum), vegetation management after cutting (leaving residue as a mulch or residue remotion from the plots) and four soil depths. The second part had treatments set in a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial combination of the following factors: absence of live mulch, A. pintoi, Pueraria phaseoloides, and M. atropurpureum, P levels (0 and 88 kg ha-1) and vegetation management after cutting. Variation of microbial C was not observed in relation to soil depth. However, the amount of microbial P and N, water soluble C, available C, and mineralizable C decreased with soil depth. Among the tested legumes, Arachis pintoi promoted an increase of microbial C and available C content of the soil, when compared to the other legume species (Pueraria phaseoloides and Macroptilium atropurpureum). Keeping the shoot as a mulch promoted an increase on soil content of microbial C and N, total organic C and N, and organic C fractions, indicating the importance of this practice to improve soil fertility.
A adoção de práticas de cobertura do solo com leguminosas tem aumentado. Porém, o impacto desta prática sobre o compartimento microbiano ainda não é bem conhecido. Para avaliar o efeito de diferentes leguminosas, sobre o C, N e P da biomassa microbiana, coletaram-se amostras de Argissolo oriundas de um experimento sob condições de campo em Seropédica-RJ. O experimento foi subdividido em dois ensaios. No primeiro, os tratamentos corresponderam à combinação de três fatores: espécie de cobertura viva (Arachis pintoi e Macroptilium atropurpurem), manutenção em cobertura ou remoção dos resíduos após o corte e profundidade de coleta do solo. No segundo ensaio, os tratamentos corresponderam à combinação de três fatores: ausência de cobertura viva, A. pintoi, Pueraria phaseoloides e M. atropurpureum, doses de P (0 e 88 kg ha-1) e manejo dos resíduos da parte aérea das plantas. Não houve variação do C microbiano com a profundidade do solo. Porém, para o P e N microbianos, C orgânico do solo, C solúvel em água, disponível e mineralizável, o aumento da profundidade proporcionou diminuição destas características. As leguminosas usadas influenciaram de maneira diferenciada as variáveis analisadas. O A. pintoi promoveu elevação nos teores de C microbiano e disponível, comparativamente as demais espécies utilizadas (P. phaseoloides e M. atropurpureum). A manutenção dos resíduos das leguminosas após cada corte promoveu aumentos nos teores de C e N microbianos, C orgânico e N total e frações de C orgânico do solo enfatizando a importância de utilização desta prática para melhorar a fertilidade do solo.
ABSTRACT
The use of living mulch with legumes is increasing but the impact of this management technique on the soil microbial pool is not well known. In this work, the effect of different live mulches was evaluated in relation to the C, N and P pools of the microbial biomass, in a Typic Alfisol of Seropédica, RJ, Brazil. The field experiment was divided in two parts: the first, consisted of treatments set in a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial combination of the following factors: live mulch species (Arachis pintoi and Macroptilium atropurpureum), vegetation management after cutting (leaving residue as a mulch or residue remotion from the plots) and four soil depths. The second part had treatments set in a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial combination of the following factors: absence of live mulch, A. pintoi, Pueraria phaseoloides, and M. atropurpureum, P levels (0 and 88 kg ha-1) and vegetation management after cutting. Variation of microbial C was not observed in relation to soil depth. However, the amount of microbial P and N, water soluble C, available C, and mineralizable C decreased with soil depth. Among the tested legumes, Arachis pintoi promoted an increase of microbial C and available C content of the soil, when compared to the other legume species (Pueraria phaseoloides and Macroptilium atropurpureum). Keeping the shoot as a mulch promoted an increase on soil content of microbial C and N, total organic C and N, and organic C fractions, indicating the importance of this practice to improve soil fertility.
A adoção de práticas de cobertura do solo com leguminosas tem aumentado. Porém, o impacto desta prática sobre o compartimento microbiano ainda não é bem conhecido. Para avaliar o efeito de diferentes leguminosas, sobre o C, N e P da biomassa microbiana, coletaram-se amostras de Argissolo oriundas de um experimento sob condições de campo em Seropédica-RJ. O experimento foi subdividido em dois ensaios. No primeiro, os tratamentos corresponderam à combinação de três fatores: espécie de cobertura viva (Arachis pintoi e Macroptilium atropurpurem), manutenção em cobertura ou remoção dos resíduos após o corte e profundidade de coleta do solo. No segundo ensaio, os tratamentos corresponderam à combinação de três fatores: ausência de cobertura viva, A. pintoi, Pueraria phaseoloides e M. atropurpureum, doses de P (0 e 88 kg ha-1) e manejo dos resíduos da parte aérea das plantas. Não houve variação do C microbiano com a profundidade do solo. Porém, para o P e N microbianos, C orgânico do solo, C solúvel em água, disponível e mineralizável, o aumento da profundidade proporcionou diminuição destas características. As leguminosas usadas influenciaram de maneira diferenciada as variáveis analisadas. O A. pintoi promoveu elevação nos teores de C microbiano e disponível, comparativamente as demais espécies utilizadas (P. phaseoloides e M. atropurpureum). A manutenção dos resíduos das leguminosas após cada corte promoveu aumentos nos teores de C e N microbianos, C orgânico e N total e frações de C orgânico do solo enfatizando a importância de utilização desta prática para melhorar a fertilidade do solo.
ABSTRACT
Intact cores from the upper soil profile and surface litter were collected at the peak of the dry season and during the rainy period in the tropical deciduous forest of the Chamela region, Jalisco, México, to (1) analyze upper soil phosphorus (P) movement and retention, (2) compare soil P dynamic pools (soluble, bicarbonate, and microbial) in dry and rainy seasons, and (3) determine the response of these P pools to wetting. Unperturbed litter-soil cores were treated in the laboratory with either 10 mm or 30 mm of simulated rain with carrier-free 32P and compared to a control (no water addition) to determine the fate and retention of added P. 31P concentrations and pools in most litter and soil fractions were higher in the dry than in the rainy season. Soluble P was 0.306 g/m2 and microbial P was 0.923 g/m2 in the dry season (litter plus soil) versus 0.041 (soluble) and 0.526 (microbial) g P/m2 in the rainy season. After water addition, rainy-season cores retained 99.9 and 94% of 32P in the 10- and 30-mm treatments, respectively. Dry-season samples retained 98.9 and 80% of inputs in the same treatments. Retention after wetting occurred mostly in soil (bicarbonate and microbial fractions). Simulated rainfall on rainy-season soils increased P immobilization. On the other hand, simulated rainfall on dry-season soils released P through mineralization. The P release represents between 46 and 99% of the annual litterfall return. Our results suggest that both soluble and microbial P constitute important sources for initiation of plant growth at the onset of the rainy season in tropical dry forest.