Atributos de qualidade química e física de um Latossolo Amarelo submetido a diferentes usos no semiarido baiano

Abstract

Soil is an important component of the environmental system, where in addition to other functions serves as support for food production. Essential for the sustainability of the Planet’s diversified life, it suffers significant modifications almost every time is used for agricultural and stockbreeding purposes. In the semi-arid, where natural conditions are the limiting factors, soil degradation processes are more intense. For this reason, monitoring the effects of use and management on soil quality attributes is very important. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of three use and management systems (banana, pasture, indigenous plants) over a typical dystrophic Yellow Latosol (oxisol) physical and chemical quality attributes. The experiment was performed within the irrigated perimeter of Ponto Novo county, localized in the semi-arid region of Bahia, Brazil. For evaluation of the physical attributes, six quality markers: soil density, total porosity, macro and micro- porosity, saturated water conductivity and soil resistance to penetration. To evaluate chemical characteristics ten quality markers were determined: pH, Ca, Mg, Al, P, K, OM, CEC, V% and m%. The banana management system improved soil physical and chemical attributes when compared with indigenous plants and pastures. The pasture management system used resulted in soil physical degradation, due to the increase of soil density and resistance to penetration by roots, in addition to the reduction of soil total porosity and macro-porosity. This system, although showed higher chemical characteristics if compared with the reference area (indigenous plants), resulted in reduction of the chemical fertility.