Reclamation status of a degraded pasture based on soil health indicators

Authors

  • Cristiane Alcantara dos Santos State University of Londrina; Dept. of Microbiology; Universidade Estadual de Londrina
  • Cristina Célia Krawulski Parana Institute of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension; Unidade Municipal de Londrina; Instituto Paranaense de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural
  • Daniel Bini The Midwest State University; Dept. of Biological Sciences; Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste
  • Tadeu Goulart Filho State University of Londrina; Dept. of Microbiology; Universidade Estadual de Londrina
  • Adriana Knob The Midwest State University; Dept. of Biological Sciences; Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste
  • Cristiane Conti Medina State University of Londrina; Dept. of Agronomy; Universidade Estadual de Londrina
  • Galdino Andrade Filho State University of Londrina; Dept. of Microbiology; Universidade Estadual de Londrina
  • Marco Antonio Nogueira Embrapa Soybean; Lab. of Soil Biotechnology; Embrapa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-9016-2013-0274

Abstract

Pasture degradation is a concern, especially in susceptible sandy soils for which strategies to recover them must be developed. Microbiological and biochemical soil health indicators are useful in the guindace of soil management practices and sustainable soil use. We assessed the success of threePanicum maximum Jacq. cultivars in the reclamation of a pasture in a sandy Typic Acrudox in the northwest of the state of Paraná, Brazil, based on soil health indicators. On a formerly degraded pasture withUrochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R.D. Webster, a trial with threeP. maximum (cv. Massai, Tanzânia, or Mombaça) was conducted. Lime and phosphate were applied at set-up, and mineral N and K as topdressing. A remnant of degraded pasture adjacent to the trial was used as control. Twenty-three chemical, physical, microbiological and biochemical attributes were assessed for the 0-10 cm topsoil. The procedures for reclamation improved most of the indicators of soil health in relation to the degraded pasture, such as soil P, mineral N, microbial biomass C, ammonification rate, dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase. CO2 evolution decreased, whereas microbial biomass C increased in the pasture under reclamation, resulting in a lower metabolic quotient (qCO2) that points to a decrease in metabolic stress of the microbial community. The reclamation of the pasture withP. maximum, especially cv. Mombaça, were evidenced by improvements in the microbiological and biochemical soil health indicators, showing a recovery of processes related to C, N and P cycling in the soil.

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Published

2015-06-01

Issue

Section

Agricultural Microbiology

How to Cite

Reclamation status of a degraded pasture based on soil health indicators . (2015). Scientia Agricola, 72(3), 195-202. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-9016-2013-0274