Qualidade estrutural do solo em três sistemas de uso

Abstract

Different factors can limit the efficiency of a production system, the soil is one of these factors. The quality of the soil, related to the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil, depending on the management, can influence positively or negatively the efficiency of the production system. The visual methods are faster compared to the laboratorial ones and add in the same way of knowledge, besides the identification of frequent problems in the soil. Using fast and visual methodologies to estimate the quality of the soil is the best alternative for small producers who have little or no condition to enable more complex and expensive analysis, thus the objective of the work was to apply methods for rapid assessment of soil structure in the Experimental Field of UFRB, through the DRES and VSA field methods. The management practices in the area of conventional agricultural cultivation reduced the quality of the soil, with the methods was demonstrated that with the use of these parameters demand adequacy according to the soil studied, so that the characteristics are evidenced for all soils. The no-till farming system showed the best soil quality index compared to all the areas studied and the methods used in this work, demonstrating an alternative that allows the improvement of soil characteristics. The inadequate management practices in conventional farming areas reduced the quality of the soil, mainly by loss of structure and by soil erosion processes. The use of morphological soil diagnostics constitutes a promising, low-cost and efficient tool for the evaluation of quality, in order to guide management practices that minimize soil degradation and to be disseminated by small producers who desire a fast, efficient and low-cost evaluation.