Correlating soil porosity and respective geological unit in Paraíba do sul Valley, Brazil: a geostatistical methodology proposal

This manuscript aims proposing a methodology for correlating soil porosity to the respective geological units using geostatistical analysis techniques, including interpolation data by kriging. The site studied was in Lorena municipality, Paraíba do Sul Valley, southeastern Brazil. Specifically all studies were carried out within an area of 12 km2 located at Santa Edwirges farm. The database comprehended 41 soil samples taken at different geological and geomorphologic units at three different depths: surface, 50 cm and 100 cm depth. The geostatistical analyses results were correlated to a geological mapping specifically elaborated for the site. This mapping accounts for two different geological formations and a geological contact characterized by a shearing zone. The results indicate the existence of a significant relationship between the soil porosity and the respective geological units. The studies revealed that the residual soils from weathered granitic rocks tend to have higher porosities than the residual soils from weathered biotite gneiss rocks, while the soil porosity within the shearing zone is relatively un-sensitive to the respective geological formation. The spatial patterns observed were efficient to evaluate the relationship between the soil porosity, geology unit and the and geomorphology showing a good potential for correlating with others soil properties such as hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention curves and erosion potentials.

Evaluation of Electrical Resistivity in a Tropical Sandy Soil Compacted

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Qualidade estrutural em latossolos compactados cultivados com milho

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Duração da eclosão e temperatura de incubação sobre a qualidade dos pintos, seu desempenho e qualidade de carne

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Copépodes (Crustacea, Calanoida, Cyclopoida) planctônicos em reservatórios profundos e dendríticos: efeitos do tempo de residência e da idade de formação

Some ecological attributes of planktonic copepods (composition, diversity, abundance and its relations with limnological variables) were compared in two deep and dendritic reservoirs, 470km from each other, with contrasting water retention time (WRT) and ages of construction. Data were grouped from two different studies: samples were collected monthly between March/00 to February/01, on the Salto Caxias Reservoir (Iguaçu River), and tri-monthly between January/00 to October/01, on the Chavantes Reservoir (Paranapanema River). Eight species of Calanoida and six of Cyclopoida were identified in both reservoirs. The highest richness was observed in Salto Caxias (12 taxa) when compared with Chavantes (8 taxa), and six species were exclusive to Salto Caxias and two from Chavantes. Salto Caxias was studied one year after the construction, consequently with higher nutrients values in this period and showed generally high mean values of Copepoda (nauplius, copepodits and adults) than Chavantes, which is 38 years old. Some parameters as transparency, conductivity, turbidity and total nitrogen were significantly related with copepod abundance. New formation and sufficient long WRT could be an important cause for the highest richness of Calanoida and total abundance of individuals in Salto Caxias Reservoir.

Spatial distribution of runoff depth from a watershed located in a cuesta relief area of São Paulo State, Brazil

This study was undertaken in a 1566 ha drainage basin situated in an area with cuesta relief in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The objectives were: 1) to map the maximum potential soil water retention capacity, and 2) to simulate the depth of surface runoff in each geographical position of the area based on a typical rainfall event. The database required for the development of this research was generated in the environment of the geographical information system ArcInfo v.10.1. Undeformed soil samples were collected at 69 points. The ordinary kriging method was used in the interpolation of the values of soil density and maximum potential soil water retention capacity. The spherical model allowed for better adjustment of the semivariograms corresponding to the two soil attributes for the depth of 0 to 20 cm, while the Gaussian model enabled a better fit of the spatial behavior of the two variables for the depth of 20 to 40 cm. The simulation of the spatial distribution revealed a gradual increase in the depth of surface runoff for the rainfall event taken as example (25 mm) from the reverse to the peripheral depression of the cuesta (from west to east). There is a positive aspect observed in the gradient, since the sites of highest declivity, especially those at the front of the cuesta, are closer to the western boundary of the watershed where the lowest depths of runoff occur. This behavior, in conjunction with certain values of erodibility and depending on the land use and cover, can help mitigate the soil erosion processes in these areas.

Productivity, Leaf Nutrient Content and Soil Carbon Stocked in Agroforestry and Traditional Management of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The aim of the work was to evaluate the productivity, leaf nutrient content and soil nutrient concentration in maize (Zea mays L.) grown in sequence with black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) under Leucaena diversifolia alley cropping agroforestry system (AFS) and traditional management system/sole crop (without trees-TS), after two years of cultivation following a randomized block design. The experiment was carried out in the Brazilian Association of Biodynamic Agriculture, in Botucatu—S?o Paulo, Brazil. Treatments were: control (C), chemical fertilizer application (F), biomass of L. diversifolia alley cropping application (B), biomass of L. diversifolia alley cropping + chemical fertilizer application (B + F). In the second year of management it was observed that black oat yield was higher in treatments B + F and F with significant difference in relation to the others treatments in both systems, followed by treatment B. Between systems, only treatment B showed significant difference, with higher yield value corresponding to AFS, reflecting the efficiency of AFS to promote soil fertility. Maize production presented the second year of cultivation an increasing trend in all treatments in both production systems. This result may be due to the cumulative effect of mineralization and maize straw and oats, along the experiment. How productivity was higher in the AFS system, could also be occurring effect of biological nitrogen fixation, water retention and reduction of extreme microclimate through the rows of L. diversifolia. Comparing the AFS and TS, it was observed that the concentration of N in leaf tissue was higher in the AFS treatments, probably due to nitrogen fixation performed through the rows of L. diversifolia, that is a nitrogen fixing tree species. After two years, carbon stocked in soil show higher values in the treatments biomass + fertilizer and biomass application, in both systems, AFS and TS.

Avaliação de resíduos orgânicos para o manejo de Fusariose em diferentes patossistemas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Intervalo hídrico ótimo e grau de compactação de um latossolo vermelho após 30 anos sob plantio direto

A qualidade física do solo é um dos fatores determinantes da sustentabilidade agronômica, econômica e ambiental no sistema plantio direto (SPD). A compactação do solo tem sido apontada como um dos fatores de redução da qualidade física em solos sob SPD. Contudo, com a utilização do SPD, pode haver o incremento de matéria orgânica do solo e o desenvolvimento de um sistema poroso contínuo e estável, que atenuam os impactos negativos da compactação. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade física de um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico sob SPD durante 30 anos, utilizando o intervalo hídrico ótimo (IHO) e o grau de compactação do solo (GC). Em uma área comercial com histórico de altas produtividades sob SPD, foram coletadas amostras de solo com estrutura preservada e deformada, para determinação da densidade do solo (Ds), do IHO e do GC. As amostras com estrutura preservada foram obtidas em três posições, relativas às linhas (L), entrelinhas (E) e posição intermediária entre as linhas e entrelinhas (PI) da cultura do milho. Foram determinadas as curvas de retenção de água e resistência do solo à penetração, bem como a Ds. A amostra de solo com estrutura deformada foi usada para obter a curva de compactação, utilizando o teste de Proctor. A Dmax foi obtida a partir da curva de compactação, e o GC foi determinado pela razão entre a Ds e a Dmax. Independentemente dos limites críticos de resistência à penetração (RP), verifica-se redução do IHO com o aumento da Ds. Os maiores valores do IHO foram verificados na posição de amostragem L, e a utilização de RP crítica maior que 2,0 MPa resultou em IHO condizente com a qualidade física desse solo sob SPD de longo tempo. A Dmax foi de 1,52 kg dm-3, e o GC variou de 64 a 87 %, sendo os maiores valores obtidos nas posições E e PI. Os valores de IHO e GC obtidos neste estudo indicam que a qualidade física desse solo não é limitante à produção das culturas após 30 anos de utilização do SPD.

Temperature Effects on Suction Measurement Using the Filter Paper Technique

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of thermal effects on filter paper calibration curves used to obtain the soil suction. When the temperature is significantly different from ambient values, it is essential to consider the influence of temperature on the filter paper calibration curves to obtain a reliable soil suction measurement. The calibration curve of Whatman No. 42 filter paper was determined at 10 degrees C, 25 degrees C, and 50 degrees C using the vapor equilibrium technique with sodium chloride solutions at different concentrations and the axis translation technique. The experimental results showed a major influence of temperature on the filter paper calibration curves. Using the obtained experimental data a calibration equation was proposed, taking into account the effect of temperature. The obtained calibration curves were then used to determine the soil water retention curve of kaolin clay, which showed lower retention capacity at higher temperatures.

Additional scaled solutions to Richards' equation for infiltration and drainage

Warrick and Hussen developed in the nineties of the last century a method to scale Richards' equation (RE) for similar soils. In this paper, new scaled solutions are added to the method of Warrick and Hussen considering a wider range of soils regardless of their dissimilarity. Gardner-Kozeny hydraulic functions are adopted instead of Brooks-Corey functions used originally by Warrick and Hussen. These functions allow to reduce the dependence of the scaled RE on the soil properties. To evaluate the proposed method (PM), the scaled RE was solved numerically using a finite difference method with a fully implicit scheme. Three cases were considered: constant-head infiltration, constant-flux infiltration, and drainage of an initially uniform wet soil. The results for five texturally different soils ranging from sand to clay (adopted from the literature) showed that the scaled solutions were invariant to a satisfactory degree. However, slight deviations were observed mainly for the sandy soil. Moreover, the scaled solutions deviated when the soil profile was initially wet in the infiltration case or when deeply wet in the drainage condition. Based on the PM, a Philip-type model was also developed to approximate RE solutions for the constant-head infiltration. The model showed a good agreement with the scaled RE for the same range of soils and conditions, however only for Gardner-Kozeny soils. Such a procedure reduces numerical calculations and provides additional opportunities for solving the highly nonlinear RE for unsaturated water flow in soils. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unconfined shear strength of compacted unsaturated plastic soils

A central goal in unsaturated soil mechanics research is to create a smooth transition between traditional soil mechanics approaches and an approach that is applicable to unsaturated soils. Undrained shear strength and the liquidity index of reconstituted or remoulded saturated soils are consistently correlated, which has been demonstrated by many studies. In the liquidity index range from 1 (at w(l)) to 0 (at w(p)), the shear strength ranges from approximately 2 kPa to 200 kPa. Similarly, for compacted soil, the shear strength at the plastic limit ranges from 150 kPa to 250 kPa. When compacted at their optimum water content, most soils have a suction that ranges from 20 kPa to 500 kPa; however, in the field, compacted materials are subjected to drying and wetting, which affect their initial suction and as a consequence their shear strength. Unconfined shear tests were performed on five compacted tropical soils and kaolin. Specimens were tested in the as-compacted condition, and also after undergoing drying or wetting. The test results and data from prior literature were examined, taking into account the roles of void ratio, suction, and relative water content. An interpretation of the phenomena that are involved in the development of the undrained shear strength of unsaturated soils in the contexts of soil water retention and Atterberg limits is presented, providing a practical view of the behaviour of compacted soil based on the concept of unsaturated soil. Finally, an empirical correlation is presented that relates the unsaturated state of compacted soils to the unconfined shear strength.

Laboratory and in situ studies on a compacted clayey silt fill

This paper presents laboratory and in situ studies carried out on a 200 000 m(3) large clayey silt compacted embankment. Laboratory studies carried out on undeformed block samples included index tests, strength tests and water retention curves using the filter paper technique. Grain size analyses with and without a deflocculating agent clearly showed the existence of grain clusters, which appear to be naturally formed. Field instrumentation installed at depths from 0.25 m to 1.0 m included tensiometers, equitensiometers, time domain reflectometry and geothermometers. Pluviometer data from a nearby weather station are also used to analyse the field data. The ranges of water content and suction values were measured, both of which correlated well with the pluviometer data. The water retention curves including laboratory and field data showed a bimodal shape, consistent with the presence of microand macropores shown in the grain size analysis.

Increased NHE3 abundance and transport activity in renal proximal tubule of rats with heart failure

Inoue BH, dos Santos L, Pessoa TD, Antonio EL, Pacheco BPM, Savignano FA, Carraro-Lacroix LR, Tucci PJF, Malnic G, Girardi ACC. Increased NHE3 abundance and transport activity in renal proximal tubule of rats with heart failure. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 302: R166-R174, 2012. First published October 26, 2011; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00127.2011.-Heart failure (HF) is associated with a reduced effective circulating volume that drives sodium and water retention and extracellular volume expansion. We therefore hypothesized that Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3), the major apical transcellular pathway for sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule, is upregulated in an experimental model of HF. HF was induced in male rats by left ventricle radiofrequency ablation. Sham-operated rats (sham) were used as controls. At 6 wk after surgery, HF rats exhibited cardiac dysfunction with a dramatic increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. By means of stationary in vivo microperfusion and pH-dependent sodium uptake, we demonstrated that NHE3 transport activity was significantly higher in the proximal tubule of HF compared with sham rats. Increased NHE3 activity was paralleled by increased renal cortical NHE3 expression at both protein and mRNA levels. In addition, the baseline PKA-dependent NHE3 phosphorylation at serine 552 was reduced in renal cortical membranes of rats with HF. Collectively, these results suggest that NHE3 is upregulated in the proximal tubule of HF rats by transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational mechanisms. Enhanced NHE3-mediated sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule may contribute to extracellular volume expansion and edema, the hallmark feature of HF. Moreover, our study emphasizes the importance of undertaking a cardiorenal approach to contain progression of cardiac disease.

Soil properties in a sugarcane plantation after the application of treated sewage effluent and phosphogypsum in Brazil

In a field experiment performed in Lins County (Sao Paulo State, Brazil), treated sewage effluent (TSE) irrigation increased sugarcane yield but caused an excessive increase in the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and clay dispersion after 16 months due to an intense irrigation regime (2500 mm/16 months) with sodium rich effluents. After two additional complete cycles with lower TSE irrigation rates (1200 mm year(-1)), 1700 kg ha(-1) of phosphogypsum was added to a section of the irrigated plots to evaluate its residence time and its implications on Na+ dynamics and other soil properties. Undisturbed soil cores were taken 2 years after phosphogypsum application to verify soil physical properties up to 0.2 m depth, and disturbed soil samples were taken every year up to 1 m depth for chemical analyses. After 5 years of consecutive TSE irrigation (2005-2010), soil acidity (pH approximate to 5) and basic cations (Ca approximate to 12, Mg approximate to 6 and K approximate to 2 mmol(c) kg(-1)) were maintained in adequate conditions for plant development without the necessity of liming, while acidity was increased (pH approximate to 4.5) and Ca (approximate to 9 mmol(c) kg(-1)), and the Mg (approximate to 4.5 mmol(c) kg(-1)) concentration decreased in the rainfed without phosphogypsum treatment. An increase in water retention capacity at -30 (from 0.14 to 0.17 m(3) m(-3)) and -1500 kPa (from 0.08 to 0.12 m(3) m(-3)) potentials was also observed in all TSE irrigated treatments. The plots with a phosphogypsum treatment showed average increases of 2 mmol(c) kg(-1) of Ca2+ and 7 mg kg(-1) of S-SO42- in all soil profiles and an average reduction of 2 mmol(c) kg(-1) of Na+ up to 0.4 m from 2008 to 2009. However, the extent of the chemical effects was greater after the first year compared to the second year. The high concentration of Na+ found in previous studies performed in the same area returned to low concentrations after continued TSE irrigation at lower rates, even without the phosphogypsum application. An unusual phosphorus migration was observed to the 0.4-0.8 m soil layer as a result of TSE irrigation, most likely due to a high pH and a Na carbonate-dominated TSE. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.