Uso de ICP OES e titrimetria para a determinação de cálcio, magnésio e alumínio em amostras de solos

O crescente interesse dos laboratórios brasileiros de análise de fertilidade de solos pela espectrometria de emissão óptica com plasma indutivamente acoplado (ICP OES) em detrimento da técnica de titrimetria deve-se à possibilidade da determinação simultânea de diferentes metais em uma ampla faixa de concentrações em extratos de interesse agronômico. Este estudo compara a precisão, reprodutibilidade e exatidão das duas técnicas de determinação de Ca, Mg e Al trocáveis extraídos com KCl 1 mol L-1 em amostras de solos. Foram analisadas 15 amostras de solos de referência, sendo três deles selecionados para avaliar a precisão e a reprodutibilidade das técnicas de determinação. A titrimetria e o ICP OES forneceram resultados mais reprodutíveis e precisos para a determinação de Ca, Mg e Al quando o extrato foi analisado sem diluição. As técnicas de determinação diferiram estatisticamente (p < 0,05) pelo teste de identidade aplicado para comparação dos resultados de Ca, Mg e Al. Nas condições testadas, não se recomenda o uso de ICP OES para as determinações de Ca, Mg e Al trocáveis em amostras de solos.

Soil infiltration based on bp neural network and grey relational analysis

Soil infiltration is a key link of the natural water cycle process. Studies on soil permeability are conducive for water resources assessment and estimation, runoff regulation and management, soil erosion modeling, nonpoint and point source pollution of farmland, among other aspects. The unequal influence of rainfall duration, rainfall intensity, antecedent soil moisture, vegetation cover, vegetation type, and slope gradient on soil cumulative infiltration was studied under simulated rainfall and different underlying surfaces. We established a six factor-model of soil cumulative infiltration by the improved back propagation (BP)-based artificial neural network algorithm with a momentum term and self-adjusting learning rate. Compared to the multiple nonlinear regression method, the stability and accuracy of the improved BP algorithm was better. Based on the improved BP model, the sensitive index of these six factors on soil cumulative infiltration was investigated. Secondly, the grey relational analysis method was used to individually study grey correlations among these six factors and soil cumulative infiltration. The results of the two methods were very similar. Rainfall duration was the most influential factor, followed by vegetation cover, vegetation type, rainfall intensity and antecedent soil moisture. The effect of slope gradient on soil cumulative infiltration was not significant.

Soil quality indicators in a rhodic kandiudult under different uses in northern Parana, Brazil

Sustainable use of soil, maintaining or improving its quality, is one of the goals of diversification in farmlands. From this point of view, bioindicators associated with C, N and P cycling can be used in assessments of land-use effects on soil quality. The aim of this study was to investigate chemical, microbiological and biochemical properties of soil associated with C, N and P under different land uses in a farm property with diversified activity in northern Parana, Brazil. Seven areas under different land uses were assessed: fragment of native Atlantic Forest; growing of peach-palm (Bactrys gasipaes); sugarcane ratoon (Saccharum officinarum) recently harvested, under renewal; growing of coffee (Coffea arabica) intercropped with tree species; recent reforestation (1 year) with native tree species, previously under annual crops; annual crops under no-tillage, rye (Cecale cereale); secondary forest, regenerated after abandonment (for 20 years) of an avocado (Persea americana) orchard. The soil under coffee, recent reforestation and secondary forest showed higher concentrations of organic carbon, but microbial biomass and enzyme activities were higher in soils under native forest and secondary forest, which also showed the lowest metabolic coefficient, followed by the peach-palm area. The lowest content of water-dispersible clay was found in the soil under native forest, differing from soils under sugarcane and secondary forest. Soil cover and soil use affected total organic C contents and soil enzyme and microbial activities, such that more intensive agricultural uses had deeper impacts on the indicators assessed. Calculation of the mean soil quality index showed that the secondary forest was closest to the fragment of native forest, followed by the peach-palm area, coffee-growing area, annual crop area, the area of recent reforestation and the sugarcane ratoon area.