RESUMO
Edaphic factors can modulate the effects of microbial inoculants on crop yield promotion. Given the potential complexity of microbial inoculant responses to diverse soil management practices, we hypothesize that sustainable management of soil and water irrigation may improve soil quality and enhance the effects of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Consequently, the primary objective was to assess the effectiveness of microbial inoculants formulated with Herbaspirillum seropedicae (Hs) and Azospirillum brasilense (Ab) on maize growth in soils impacted by different historical conservation management systems. We evaluated two soil management systems, two irrigation conditions, and four treatments: T0 - without bioinoculant and 100% doses of NPK fertilization; T1 - Hs + humic substances and 40% of NPK fertilization; T2 - Ab and 40% of NPK fertilization; T3 - co-inoculation (Hs + Ab) and 40% of NPK fertilization. Using a reduced fertilization dose (40% NPK) associated with microbial inoculants proved efficient in increasing maize shoot dry mass : on average, there was a 16% reduction compared to the treatment with 100% fertilization. In co-inoculation (Hs + Ab), the microbial inoculants showed a mutualistic effect on plant response, higher than isolate ones, especially increasing the nitrogen content in no-tillage systems irrigated by swine wastewater. Under lower nutrient availability and higher biological soil quality, the microbial bioinputs positively influenced root development, instantaneous water use efficiency, stomatal conductance, and nitrogen contents.
RESUMO
Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar a suscetibilidade à oxidação pelo permanganato de potássio do carbono presente em Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico, cultivado com cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.), em diferentes espaçamentos de plantio, em experimento localizado na Fazenda Experimental da EPAMIG, em Machado (MG). Os tratamentos avaliados, instalados a campo em 1992, consistiram na combinação de quatro espaçamentos entre linhas (2,0, 2,5, 3,0 e 3,5 m), com três espaçamentos entre plantas (0,5, 0,75 e 1,0 m). Uma área de mata próxima ao experimento foi amostrada e usada como referência. Para a avaliação do grau de oxidação do carbono orgânico (CO), as amostras de solo foram coletadas na entrelinha (EL) e na projeção da copa (PC) do cafeeiro, nas camadas de solo de 0-0,05 e 0-0,1 m. Na camada superficial do solo (0-0,05 m), os teores de C lábil na entrelinha são, em geral, maiores do que os observados nas amostras coletadas na projeção da copa do cafeeiro. A amplitude de variação dos teores de C nas frações orgânicas obedece à seguinte ordem decrescente: C lábil> C não lábil > C orgânico, o que indica o maior potencial do C lábil em avaliar o impacto de diferentes sistemas de adensamento e manejo do cafeeiro, sobre os compartimentos de matéria orgânica. Os teores de C lábil e C não lábil não são influenciados pelo número de plantas por área, mas são dependentes da largura de rua do cafeeiro, da profundidade e do local de coleta das amostras de solo.
The present work was carried out to evaluate soil carbon susceptibility to oxidation by potassium permanganate in adystroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol) cultivated with coffee (Coffea arabica L.) at different planting spacings. The experiment was installed in 1992 at the Experimental Farm of EPAMIG, in Machado (Minas Gerais State-Brazil). Treatments consisted of a combination of four row spacings (2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 m) with three spacings within the row (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 m). As a reference, soil samples were also collected in an area under native forest. For assessing the degree of oxidation of the organic carbon (OC), soil samples were collected at the inter-row and in the coffee canopy projection, at the 0-0.05 and 0-0.1 m soil depths. Labile C in inter-row samples located at the soil surface layer(0-0.05 m) is, in general, higher than that measured in samples collected in the coffee canopy projection. The amplitude of variation of C in different soil organic fractions follows the order: labile C > non labile C > Organic C.Thus, labile C could be used as a sensitive index to evaluate the impact of different coffee planting systems and management practices on soil organic matter pools. Labile and non labile C contents are not influenced by the number of coffee plants per area. However, these indexes are dependent on coffee plants inter-row spacings, soil depth and sampling location.
