Superficial chemical characterization of Latosol cultivated under conventional tillage and zero tillage in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

In zero tillage systems, the accumulation of residues in the soil surface and the use of crop rotation with leguminous plants and/or grasses can change soil nutrient dynamics. The objective of this work was to verify the main alterations of some chemical characteristics of soil and plant, with emphasis in the concentration of aluminum, calcium, phosphorus and silicon in the soil solution of the root system environment and in the leaves of the maize crop under zero tillage system in relation to conventional tillage system. The chemical characterization of the soil solution was carried out in two experiments (1 and 2). In experiment 1 no differences were observed between the systems for aluminum and phosphorus concentration in the soil solution. However, the soils under the zero tilling system presented greater amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium and lower silicon concentrations in the soil solution, when compared with the other system. In experiment 2, soil solution of the zero tillage system showed smaller concentration of aluminum and phosphorus and greater concentration of silicon when compared with the other system. The total amount of silicon and macronutrients accumulated was
greater in the soil under the zero tillage system. The zero tillage system promotes changes in the concentrations of Si, Ca and Al in the soil solution in comparison with the conventional tillage system.