ABSTRACT: A set of attributes endows the soils with distinctive characteristics and astute understanding is required in order to formulate suitable strategies for soil management. The aim of this study was to physically, chemically and mineralogically characterize samples of the main soil classes in Minas Gerais, Brazil, determine the point of zero salt effect (PZSE) and the point of zero charge (PZC), and ascertain the correlation between these factors and soil attributes. The soils evaluated presented different textural classes ranging from loamy sand (Entisol) to very clayey (some Oxisols and Ultisols). The soils differed substantially in terms of fertility, presenting a range from dystrophic (low fertility, base saturation < 50 %) to eutrophic character (fertility, base saturation ≥ 50 %), even within the same soil class, such as the Oxisols, which suggests the concurrence of the parent material. Highly weathered soils are predominant in Minas Gerais and these soils are composed predominantly of kaolinite, gibbsite, goethite and hematite. Traces of hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculite and illite were also found in the Oxisols, Ultisols and Inceptisols. A correlation between the PZSE and the PZC in the A horizon was observed. A high degree of correlation was observed between the PZC and the exchangeable aluminum and the ratio of iron obtained by ammonium oxalate and dithionite-citrate (Feo/Fed) in both the A and B horizons of soil classes. The results obtained reinforce the importance of knowledge of soil attributes to the adoption of practices such as the management of phosphate fertilization in clayey soils and liming in soils rich in aluminum.

ABSTRACT: Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring chemical element considered toxic and carcinogenic by health and environmental protection agencies. Studies of As adsorption/desorption behavior in soils are important to predictions of As’ potential mobility in natural systems. The aim of this study was to assess the adsorption of As(V) in soils from Minas Gerais, Brazil, and determine its immobilization rate in order to identify soils with characteristics more favorable to its deployment as an As geochemical barrier. The adsorption experiment was performed using different As concentrations and the data pertaining to the maximum adsorption capacity of As(V) (MACAs) were determined by Langmuir and Freundlich isoterms. The Oxisols, due to their more oxidic mineralogy, especially more gibbsitic, and clayey texture, showed the highest MACAs, followed by Ultisols, Inceptisols, and Entisols. In terms of the desorption of As the Inceptisols were the soils that showed the most As desorption. Both As desorption and mobility was lower in the more oxidic and clayey soils. In all soils, the total amount of As was desorbed in due course, but the As release ratio tended to decrease with the passage of time. In general, soils with higher MACAs did not necessarily show less As desorption. For use as a geochemical barrier, as important as a high adsorption capacity of As by the soil is a low As desorption rate. The increase in As mobility may increase the risks of contaminating the supplies of water. To be a good As geochemical barrier the soil has to be a clayey Oxisol, with relatively high amounts of Fe and Al oxides, especially gibbsite.

Considerando a expressividade de Cambissolos (rasos, adensados e siltosos) e Latossolos argilosos e muito argilosos desenvolvidos de rochas pelíticas do Grupo Bambuí, bem como os poucos estudos relacionados à gênese e potencialidade agrícola desses solos, selecionaram-se duas áreas no município de Curvelo-MG, cujo objetivo foi estudar suas características físicas, químicas e mineralógicas. Para isso, foram descritos e coletados perfis de Cambissolos Háplicos (CX), Latossolos Vermelho-Amarelos (LVA) e Latossolos Vermelhos (LV), sendo a TFSA submetida às análises físicas e químicas de rotina, digestão total e sulfúrica, além das análises mineralógicas. Os difratogramas de raios X (DRX) e o índice de intemperismo (Ki) dos CX indicaram menor grau de pedogênese e maior proporção de caulinita e ilita na fração argila (comparativamente aos Latossolos), que coexistem com gibbsita (Gb) e vermiculita com Al-hidroxi entrecamadas (VHE). Nesse caso, a ocorrência de gibbsita não é um bom indicativo de intemperização acentuada. Nos CX, os elevados teores de silte associados à possibilidade de forte ajuste face a face de caulinita/ilita podem ser os principais fatores que interferem na quase ausência de organização estrutural, no adensamento, na pouca percolação de água e na formação de selamento superficial. Na fração argila dos Latossolos foi constatada coexistência de argilominerais e óxidos de Fe e Al muito semelhante à encontrada para os CX, porém com menores proporções de ilita e maiores de gibbsita, inferidos pelos resultados do Ki em torno de 1,4. Ainda que não haja diferenciações químicas e físicas marcantes entre os Latossolos, constatou-se em LV magnetização considerável na fração areia, cujo DRX confirmou a presença de magnetita, fato pouco comum em Latossolos desenvolvidos de rochas pelíticas do Grupo Bambuí, mas constatado em estudos anteriores.

The widespread occurrence of Cambisols (shallow, dense and silty) and of clayey and very clayey Latosols is typical of pelitic rocks of the pre-Cambrian Bambui Group landscape, but few studies are focused on the genesis and agricultural potential of these soils. Two areas were selected in Curvelo, state of Minas Gerais, for a detailed study of physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of these soils, to deepen the understanding of the pedogenesis of this area. Soils classified as Haplic Cambisols (Inceptisols), Red-Yellow latosol (Xanthic Haplustox) and Red latosol (Rhodic Haplustox) were selected and sampled, and analyzed for the chemical, mineralogical and physical properties. The XRD data coupled with the calculated weathering index indicated a lower degree of weathering in the shallow Cambisols, with higher proportion of illite and kaolinite in the clay fraction, in comparison to the Latosols, where kaolinite, gibbsite and hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite (HIV) coexist. In this case, the occurrence of gibbsite is not a good indicator of severe weathering. In the shallow Cambisols, higher silt content combined with a face-to-face arrangement of clay particles (kaolinite/illite) may have resulted in poor structural organization, denseness, low water infiltration and soil sealing. In the clay fraction of Latosols, we observed the coexistence of kaolinite/illite and Fe/Al oxides, similarly to the Cambisols, but with much less illite and higher gibbsite contents, as inferred from the results of Ki of around 1.4. Although there are no remarkable physical and chemical differences among Latosols, the Rhodic Latosols displayed considerable magnetization in the sand fraction, where XRD confirmed the presence of magnetite, an uncommon fact in the supposedly magnetite-free pelitic lithologies of the Bambuí Group, but reported in previous studies as well.

Os ácidos orgânicos provenientes da decomposição da matéria orgânica, da exsudação radicular e do metabolismo de microrganismos, possuem importante papel na melhoria das condições físicas e químicas do solo. Entretanto, sua eficiência está relacionada à qualidade e à forma dos ácidos orgânicos e à sua interação com colóides do solo. Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito dos ácidos orgânicos de alto e baixo peso molecular na alteração de propriedades físicas e químicas de solos, foram coletados materiais de horizontes B de quatro Latossolos e um Plintossolo, e C de Neossolo Quartzarênico. Para isso, foram utilizadas doses de ácidos cítricos e oxálicos de 0, 1, 3, 9 e 18 mmol L-1; e para os ácidos húmicos, doses de 0,0; 2,0; 4,0; 6,0 e 10,0 g kg-1, num delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado seguindo um esquema fatorial de 6 x 3 x 5 (solo, ácido e dose), com três repetições. As doses utilizadas foram de 0, 1, 3, 9 e 18 mmol L-1 para os ácidos cítrico e oxálico e, para os ácidos húmicos, de 0,0; 2,0; 4,0; 6,0; e 10,0 g kg-1. As unidades experimentais foram compostas de 25 cm³ de TFSA, colocadas em cilindros de PVC (2,0 cm de altura por 4,0 cm de diâmetro). Estas foram mantidas em câmaras isotérmicas a 30 °C e submetidas a ciclos de umedecimento e secagem de três dias, por sete ciclos. Ao final do experimento foram determinados o teor de argila dispersa em água, a resistência à penetração e os teores de Fe e Al por oxalato ácido de amônio. Os resultados mostraram que o conteúdo de argila dispersa variou com o tipo e dose dos ácidos orgânicos, textura e mineralogia dos solos, indicando que aqueles goethíticos apresentaram maior resistência à dispersão que os hematíticos, e estes, por sua vez, maior resistência que os gibbsíticos. Com relação aos ácidos, foi observado que os de cadeia curta promoveram maior dispersão e resistência à penetração que os ácidos de cadeia longa, podendo-se estabelecer a seguinte ordem, de acordo com seu efeito: ácido cítrico > ácido oxálico > ácidos húmicos. O conteúdo de argila dispersa em água mostrou ser o principal fator responsável pelo aumento da resistência à penetração.

The organic acids from the organic matter decomposition, root exudation and microbial activity, play an important role on physical and chemical soil conditions. However their efficiency is conditioned to the quality and kind of organic acids and interactions with the soil mineral surface. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of humic and organic acids of high and low molecular weight on the physical and chemical properties of B horizons of four Oxisols and one Plinthustult, and a C horizon of Quartzipsamment. A completely randomized 6x3x5 factorial design (soils x organic acids x dose) was used, with 3 replications. The following organic acid rates were applied: 0, 1, 3, 9 and 18 mM citric and oxalic acid and 0.0; 2.0; 4.0; 6.0 and 10.0 g kg-1 humic acids. The experimental units consisted of 25 cm³ of air-dried fine-earth fraction in PVC cylinders (2.0 cm height and 4.0 cm diameter), subjected to moistening and drying cycles in an isothermal chamber at 30 °C, for three days, in seven cycles. The water dispersible clay, penetration resistance and ammonium oxalate-extracted Fe and Al were determined. The contents of water dispersible clay were variable, related to the rate and type of organic acids, and also to soil texture and mineralogy. Thus, the dispersion resistance of the goethitic was higher than of the hematitic soils, which was in turn higher than of the gibbsitic soils. Moreover, organic acids of low molecular weight resulted in higher dispersion and penetration resistance than those of high molecular weight, in the following sequence: citric acid ³ oxalic acid > humic acid. The content of water dispersible clay proved to be an important factor in the increase of penetration resistance.