Reatividade de calcários agrícolas e a relação entre os teores de cálcio e magnésio

A reatividade da fração retida entre as peneiras nºs 50-60 (ABNT) de quatro calcários, com teores relativos de óxidos de cálcio decrescentes e de óxidos de magnésio crescentes, foi avaliada incubando-os , durante 100 dias, com três solos diferentes. O delineamento foi o de blocos casualizados com 6 tratamentos e 4 repetições. A avaliação, feita através das variações periódicas do pH e dos teores de alumínio, cálcio e magnésio trocáveis, mostrou que a relação entre os teores de cálcio e magnésio nos calcários não influi na sua reatividade, tanto quanto à correção da acidez dos solos como ao fornecimento de cálcio e de magnésio.

Solubilidade de calcários em extratores químicos

A solubilidade de quatro calcários agrícolas, dois sedimentares e dois metamórficos, divididos em quatro frações granulométricas, foi estudada em dois extratores químicos (soluções de ácido clorídrico e de ácido acético), em variadas condições, com o objetivo de avaliar a eficiência desses materiais através desse critério. Os resultados obtidos, comparados com os ensaios de incubação com solos, mostraram que para a pretendida avaliação, os extratores não se prestam para avaliar os calcários agrícolas, visto que não há correlação entre a solubilidade, expressa em equivalente de CaCO3, e a eficiência mostrada nos ensaios de incubação com solos.

Modelling the impact of land use change on water quality in agricultural catchments

Export coefficient modelling was used to model the impact of agriculture on nitrogen and phosphorus loading on the surface waters of two contrasting agricultural catchments. The model was originally developed for the Windrush catchment where the highly reactive Jurassic limestone aquifer underlying the catchment is well connected to the surface drainage network, allowing the system to be modelled using uniform export coefficients for each nutrient source in the catchment, regardless of proximity to the surface drainage network. In the Slapton catchment, the hydrological path-ways are dominated by surface and lateral shallow subsurface flow, requiring modification of the export coefficient model to incorporate a distance-decay component in the export coefficients. The modified model was calibrated against observed total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads delivered to Slapton Ley from inflowing streams in its catchment. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to isolate the key controls on nutrient export in the modified model. The model was validated against long-term records of water quality, and was found to be accurate in its predictions and sensitive to both temporal and spatial changes in agricultural practice in the catchment. The model was then used to forecast the potential reduction in nutrient loading on Slapton Ley associated with a range of catchment management strategies. The best practicable environmental option (BPEO) was found to be spatial redistribution of high nutrient export risk sources to areas of the catchment with the greatest intrinsic nutrient retention capacity.

Seasonal activity and abundance of Orosius orientalis (Hemiptera : Cicadellidae) at agricultural sites in Southeastern Australia

Orosius orientalis is a leafhopper vector of several viruses and phytoplasmas affecting a broad range of agricultural crops. Sweep net, yellow pan trap and yellow sticky trap collection techniques were evaluated. Seasonal distribution of O. orientalis was surveyed over two successive growing seasons around the borders of commercially grown tobacco crops. Orosius orientalis seasonal activity as assessed using pan and sticky traps was characterised by a trimodal peak and relative abundance as assessed using sweep nets differed between field sites with peak activity occurring in spring and summer months. Yellow pan traps consistently trapped a higher number of O. orientalis than yellow sticky traps.