Digital soil mapping: evaluation of sampling systems for soil surveys and refinement of soil maps at lower cost using legacy data

In soil surveys, several sampling systems can be used to define the most representative sites for sample collection and description of soil profiles. In recent years, the conditioned Latin hypercube sampling system has gained prominence for soil surveys. In Brazil, most of the soil maps are at small scales and in paper format, which hinders their refinement. The objectives of this work include: (i) to compare two sampling systems by conditioned Latin hypercube to map soil classes and soil properties; (II) to retrieve information from a detailed scale soil map of a pilot watershed for its refinement, comparing two data mining tools, and validation of the new soil map; and (III) to create and validate a soil map of a much larger and similar area from the extrapolation of information extracted from the existing soil map. Two sampling systems were created by conditioned Latin hypercube and by the cost-constrained conditioned Latin hypercube. At each prospection place, soil classification and measurement of the A horizon thickness were performed. Maps were generated and validated for each sampling system, comparing the efficiency of these methods. The conditioned Latin hypercube captured greater variability of soils and properties than the cost-constrained conditioned Latin hypercube, despite the former provided greater difficulty in field work. The conditioned Latin hypercube can capture greater soil variability and the cost-constrained conditioned Latin hypercube presents great potential for use in soil surveys, especially in areas of difficult access. From an existing detailed scale soil map of a pilot watershed, topographical information for each soil class was extracted from a Digital Elevation Model and its derivatives, by two data mining tools. Maps were generated using each tool. The more accurate of these tools was used for extrapolation of soil information for a much larger and similar area and the generated map was validated. It was possible to retrieve the existing soil map information and apply it on a larger area containing similar soil forming factors, at much low financial cost. The KnowledgeMiner tool for data mining, and ArcSIE, used to create the soil map, presented better results and enabled the use of existing soil map to extract soil information and its application in similar larger areas at reduced costs, which is especially important in development countries with limited financial resources for such activities, such as Brazil.

Eficiência agronômica da ureia estabilizada com inibidores de urease e nitrificação na cultura do milho

Nitrogen (N) is the most required nutrient for corn plants and, in order to supply this demand in highly productive crops, mineral fertilizers are used, especially urea. The disadvantage of urea is the loss of N-NH3 to atmosphere. To reverse this situation, some technologies have been developed, such as nitrification and urease inhibitors, which are used as additives to urea. This work aimed at evaluating the agronomic efficiency of urea stabilized with urease and nitrification inhibitors applied to cover the 2013/2014 corn crop. We evaluated 11 nitrogen fertilizer applied in coverage: urea + PA (41.6% N, 3% Cu); urea + PA (41.6% N, 1.5% Cu); urea + PA (41.6% N, 3% Zn); urea + PA (41.6% N, 1.5% Zn); urea + PA (41.6% N, 0.34% Cu, 0.94% B); urea + PA (41.6% N, 0.25% Cu, 0.68% B); urea + PA (41.6% N); urea (44.3% N, 0.15% Cu, 0.4% B); urea (43% N, 0.1% Cu, 0.3% B, 0.05% Mo); pearled urea (46% N); urea + 0,8% DMPP (45% N) and the control, which did not receive nitrogen topdressing. The evaluations were: Nitrogen losses through volatilization, content and accumulation of N, boron (B), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) to the dry matter of aerial parts, grains, and in straw and grain productivity. Fertilizers stabilized with urease and nitrification inhibitors did not reduce the volatilization of ammonia volatilization, when compared to pearled urea. Urea with 0.8% of DMPP nitrification inhibitor (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) provided higher loss by volatilization, lower productivity and agronomic efficiency compared to pearled urea. The coating of urea with Cu, B and Zn did not increase the accumulation of these nutrients in grains and MSPA plants. The use of fertilizers stabilized and coated with micronutrients did not increase the productivity and agronomic efficiency compared to conventional urea.

Caracterização mineralógica, química e solubilização do potássio de glauconita modificada

Demand for potassium in Brazil is large and is constantly increasing, but only about 5% of all consumed potassium is produced in the country. This low domestic production implies high rate of potassium imports, leaving the country vulnerable in the event of any difficulty to import this product and currency fluctuations. The modified glauconite is a rock that has a high potential for potassium exploration, found in Minas Gerais state, its extraction is relatively cheap and the prospected rock volume is high. The difficulty for its use as a direct source of potassium is in its low solubility. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform a chemical and mineralogical characterization of the modified glauconite and evaluate the effectiveness of techniques and treatments in the potassium solubilization contained in the rock. For this study, it was used characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffraction by Synchrotron Light and chemical analysis of high and low power of potassium extraction. Also granulometric testing and thermal treatments with different forms of calcination were carried out. Overall, it was found that the modified glauconite is a compound of minerals, of the mica groups K-feldspar and quartz and calcination substantially alter the crystal structure of these minerals, increasing the potassium availability. While the natural solubility of glauconite modified be very low, rock calcination added with high fluxes of calcium and low magnesium content at 1200 °C led to potassium solubility increase in order of 100 times compared to that observed in the glauconite natural modified.

Solubilização de fontes alternativas de potássio pelos ácidos húmicos, cítrico e casca de café

This study was to evaluate the solubility of nepheline syenite rocks and glauconite as alternative sources of K by organic humic acid arrays, citrus and coffee pods at various times from 0 to 180 days of incubation. The experiment was conducted in the fertility laboratory in the Department of Soil Science at the Federal University of Lavras in a completely randomized design with 90 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were arranged in a factorial arrangement (2 x 3 x 7 + 3), 2 nepheline syenite rocks and glauconite incubated with water and 3 matrix organic humic acid, citric acid and coffee husk in six different incubation times of 0, 7, 15, 30, 75, 120 and 180 days, incubation were performed with the three above-mentioned organic matrix in increasing doses of 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10% humic acids and citric 0, 5, 10 20 and 40% for coffee husk. We evaluated the K2O content by different extractants soluble in 2% citric acid and water all treatments at all incubation times quoted above. Incubation and the application of organic matrix rocks nepheline syenite and generally glauconite provided a significant increase in solubility of K of the rocks studied in this work. Among the organic matrix has been observed that the coffee husk which provided the greatest release of K2O in both rocks mainly into the extractor 2% citric acid showed that the most efficient extraction K2O in all treatments.

Caracterização, gênese e uso de latossolos sob cerrado no município de Rio Paranaíba - MG

The main objective of this research was to study the morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical and geomorphic characteristics of two soil types in the Rio Paranaíba área of Minas Gerais. Using descriptions based on current methods, the soil profile study was carried out in two trenches both two meters in depth. The landscape of this region consists of an extensive, flat plain where the Red Yellow Latosol is found. In addition, the Dusky Red Latosol is distributed on slopes between the basin of Parana-São Francisco and the plateau. Chemical analysis show that the Red Yellow Latosol presents an extremely low natural fertility and the high amounts of gibbsite indicates a highly advanced degree of weathering for this soil. Mecanization is difficult in the Dusky Red Latosol due to the steep relief. Thus, Dusky Red Latosol could be put to better use as land for pastures and perennial crops taking the necessary care to prevent erosion. The soils were classified respectively as Typic Acrustox and Acrustox according to the Soil Survey Staff (67) and were categorized as Dystrophic Red Yellow Latosol of a clayish texture, flat relief, with clayish substratum sediments and Dystrophic Dusky Red Latosol, of clayish texture, high relief, undulant substratum, with and volcanic tuffs in agreement with the criteria proposed by Bennema and Camargo (11) for the Brasilian Classification.

Avaliação do potencial de uso agrícola da fluorita com óxido silício (AgroSiCa), derivado da fabricação de fertilizantes fosfatados

Phosphate fertilizers are critical for crop production in tropical soils, which are known for having high phosphate-fixing capacity and aluminium saturation, as well as low pH and calcium contents. Fluorine is a component of many phosphate rocks used to make phosphate fertilizers, via a process that generates hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6). While many treatment technologies have been proposed for removal of fluorine in industrial facilities, little attention has been given to a process of neutralizing H2SiF6 with calcium oxide aiming to find out an alternative and sustainable use of a by-product with a great potential for beneficial use in tropical agriculture. This study evaluated the effect of a by-product of phosphoric acid production (fluorite with silicon oxide, hereafter called AgroSiCa) in levels of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), silicon (Si), aluminum (Al) and fluorine (F) and some others parameters in soils as on growth of soybean and corn. Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse condition at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, using different types of soils in tropical regions and different doses of AgroSiCa. The application of AgroSiCa resulted in a slight increase in soil pH and significant increases in calcium, phosphorus and silicon in the soil solution and the shoots of corn and soybeans. We also found very low levels of fluoride in all soil leachates. A significant reduction of labile aluminum levels found in all soils after the cultivation of corn and soybeans. In sum, AgroSiCa improved soil properties and contributed to better growth of both cultures. In sum, AgroSiCa improved soil properties and contributed to a better growth of both crops. Our results show that reacting H2SiF6 derived from the wet-process phosphoric acid production with calcium oxide leads to a by-product with potential for agricultural use, especially when applied in highly-weathered soils. Besides providing calcium and silicon to plants, the use of such by-product in soils with high phosphate-fixing capacity and high aluminium saturation delivers additional benefits, since fluoride and silicon can play an important role in improving soil conditions due to the formation of less plant-toxic forms of aluminium, as well as upon decreasing phosphate fixation, thus improving root development and making fertilizer-derived phosphate more available for plant growth.

Compartimentos de K, Ca e Mg em solos e sua relação com o crescimento inicial, fisiologia e produtividade do eucalipto

Forestry has grown in a continuous and accelerated manner in Brazil, constituting a strategic activity for the generation of employment, income and tributes, favoring social and economic development of Brazilian agribusiness. The objectives of this study were: (1) evaluate the contents of K, Ca and Mg in the reserve compartments, non-interchangeable, interchangeable, available and the speed of its release, its correlations and its effects over productivity (annual average increment – AAI) of eucalyptus plantations, in forest sites cultivated in soils of the state of Rio Grande do Sul; (2) evaluate the initial growth, nutrition and physiological aspects of eucalyptus plants, cultivated with and without the addition of mineral sources of potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (MG), in soils obtained from forest sites in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In the first study, contents of K, Ca and Mg were evaluated in sulfuric digestion extract, boiling nitric acid, ammonium chloride, Mehlich-1 (only K), potassium chloride (Ca and Mg), as well as the release speed of these nutrients in the soil. In the second study, growth variables, nutritional aspects, photosynthetic rate (A) and transpiration rate of the plants (E) grown in distinct soils were evaluated under controlled conditions. The contents of K, Ca and Mg varied between compartments and depths in the studied soil classes, with the highest proportions found in the reserve compartment, indicating the importance of this compartment for the supplement of these nutrients at average and long terms. The great majority of K, Ca and Mg compartments presented significant correlations between each other, showing the dependence between them and the importance of evaluating the contents of these nutrients in the different compartments to adapt the nutritional management of the plants to each soil class, and to obtain continuous productions, minimizing the negative effects to the environment. Plants cultivated in soils that present larger reserves, availability and K, Ca and Mg release kinetics, presented similar height (H), stem diameter (SD) and shoot dry mass (SDM), with or without fertilization with K, Ca and Mg. The plants presented higher leaf content and accumulation of K in all soils fertilized with K, Ca and Mg.