ABSTRACT. Adding legumes to sugarcane silage is a strategy used to improve silage quality and reduce losses. This study’s objective was to evaluate the chemical composition and fermentation profile of silages sugarcane and pigeon pea. A completely randomized design was used, with five treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of sugarcane silage with increasing pigeon pea proportions (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). The forages were ensiled in experimental microsilos that remained closed for 60 days. Their chemical compositions were evaluated by determining the pH value and dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin content. Fermentation profiles were evaluated by determining the effluent, gas, and total dry matter losses and dry matter recovery of the silage. Including pigeon pea in sugarcane silage decreases the hemicellulose content and increases the crude protein, acid detergent fiber and lignin content. Fermentation losses are reduced by adding pigeon pea to sugarcane silage with reduced effluent and gas losses and increased dry matter.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar fontes alternativas de potássio para melhoria da fertilidade do solo e da produtividade e da qualidade de bebida do cafeeiro. O experimento foi conduzido em lavoura de café (Coffea arabica) plantada em área de Latossolo, no Município de Patrocínio, no Estado de Minas Gerais. Os tratamentos consistiram da aplicação das fontes de K TK47 e Super Greensand (SG) - ambas baseadas no mineral silicatado glauconita -, nas seguintes doses: 0 kg ha-1 de K2O (controle); 42, 84, 168 e 336 kg ha-1 de K2O de TK47; 618 kg ha-1 de K2O de KCl; e 168 kg ha-1 de K2O de SG. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições por tratamento. As unidades experimentais foram constituídas por três linhas de dez plantas cada uma, tendo-se considerado as oito plantas centrais como parcela útil. A adubação potássica com TK47 aumentou a fertilidade do solo, com correção da acidez e com elevação dos teores de K+, P, Ca2+, da capacidade de troca de cátions efetiva, e dos níveis de Zn2+ e Fe2+ no solo. A adubação com 336 kg ha-1 de K2O de TK47, em dose única, proporciona produção de grãos e atividade de polifenoloxidase semelhantes às da fertilização com 618 kg ha-1 de K2O de KCl, de forma parcelada, mas melhor análise sensorial da bebida resultante.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate alternative sources of potassium for improving soil fertility and coffee productivity and beverage quality. The experiment was conducted in a coffee (Coffea arabica) crop, planted in an Oxisol area, in the municipality of Patrocínio, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The treatments consisted of the K sources TK47 and Super Greensand (SG) - both based on glauconite silicate mineral -, at the following doses: 0 kg ha-1 K2O (control); 42, 84, 168, and 336 kg ha-1 K2O from TK47; 618 kg ha-1 K2O from KCl; and 168 kg ha-1 K2O from SG. A randomized complete block design was used, with four replicates in each treatment. The experimental units consisted of three rows with ten plants each, using the eight central plants as the useful plot. Potassium fertilization with TK47 increased soil fertility, correcting soil acidity and elevating K+, P, and Ca2+ contents, effective cation exchange capacity, and Zn2+ and Fe2+ levels in the soil. Fertilization with 336 kg ha-1 K2O from TK47, in a single dose, provides grain yield and polyphenol oxidase activity similar to those of fertilization with 618 kg ha-1 K2O from KCl, in a split-dose, but a better sensory analysis of the resultant beverage.

ABSTRACT The practice of green manuring is fundamental in agroecological agriculture systems for improved soil quality, nutrient cycling, organic matter input, and protection against soil erosion. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the perceptions of agroecological farmers in Southeastern Minas Gerais regarding the use of green manuring, to enable identification of the criteria guiding its selection, handling, and the limitations of its use. Fifteen agroecological farmers from the area were interviewed, in order to characterize farmers, farms, and green manure usage and management characteristics within their farms. The joint action of farmers and researchers/extensionists contribute to the introduction of green manuring practices in properties. Intercropping with the main crop system is the most common practice, along with weeding and cropping at flowering onset. Labor costs and difficulty in handling some species used in green manure were the main factors identified that limited the adoption and maintenance of this practice.

RESUMEN El uso del abono verde es fundamental en sistemas agroecológicos para aumentar la materia orgánica, mejorar la estructura del suelo, una mayor disponibilidad de nutrientes y la protección contra la erosión del suelo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la percepción de productores agroecológicos del sureste de Minas Gerais sobre el uso del abono verde, para identificar los criterios que guían su selección, manejo y las limitaciones de su utilización. Se entrevistó a 15 agricultores que usan estas prácticas para caracterizarlos y describir el manejo que hacen del sistema. La acción conjunta de agricultores e investigadores/extensionistas contribuye a la introducción y manejo del abono verde en los sistemas productivos. Los cultivos intercalados con abono verde y su deshierbe al inicio de la floración son la práctica más común. El aumento del costo de mano de obra y la dificultad en el manejo de algunas especies utilizadas en el abono verde fueron los principales factores que limitaron la adopción de esta práctica.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de níveis crescentes de calagem sobre a condutividade elétrica de solos contrastantes quanto à textura e aos teores de matéria orgânica, assim como o grau de associação da condutividade elétrica e da concentração de nutrientes com a massa de matéria seca total de milho. A condutividade elétrica e os teores disponíveis de macro e micronutrientes foram determinados, tendo-se calculado a concentração de nutrientes de solos incubados com doses crescentes de CaCO3+MgCO3. Determinou-se o grau de associação da condutividade elétrica com os atributos de fertilidade e de acidez de cada solo e com a massa de matéria seca de milho, cultivado por 35 dias em vaso. A condutividade elétrica aumenta com o acréscimo dos níveis de calagem e se correlaciona positivamente ao pH, à saturação por bases, aos teores de Ca2+ e de Mg2+ e à concentração de nutrientes. Não há uma equação universal que relacione os dados de condutividade elétrica com os atributos dos dez solos investigados e com a massa de matéria seca total de milho. Para cada solo, há relação direta entre a condutividade elétrica e a massa de matéria seca de milho, e entre a condutividade elétrica e a concentração de nutrientes.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the application of increasing liming levels on the electrical conductivity of soils contrasting for texture and contents of soil organic matter, as well as the relationship of soil electrical conductivity and soil nutrient concentration with corn dry matter. Soil electrical conductivity and the available contents of macro- and micronutrients were determined; and the nutrient concentration was calculated for soil samples incubated with increasing rates of CaCO3+MgCO3. The degree of association of soil electrical conductivity with the fertility and acidity properties of each soil, and with the dry matter of corn, grown during 35 days in pots, was determined. Soil electrical conductivity increases with increasing liming levels and correlates positively with pH, base saturation, Ca2+ and Mg2+ contents, and with nutrient concentration. There is no universal mathematical equation that relates soil electrical conductivity with the properties of the ten researched soils and with total dry matter of corn. For each soil, there is a direct relationship between soil electrical conductivity and corn dry matter, and between electrical conductivity and nutrient concentration.

ABSTRACT Soil solution samplers may have the same working principle, but they differ in relation to chemical and physical characteristics, cost and handling, and these aspects exert influence on the chemical composition of the soil solution obtained. This study was carried out to evaluate, over time, the chemical composition of solutions extracted by Suolo Acqua, with the hydrophilic membrane (HM) as a standard, using soils with contrasting characteristics, and to determine the relationship between electrical conductivity (EC) and concentration of ions and pH of soil solution samples. This study was carried out under laboratory conditions, using three soils samples with different clay and organic matter (OM) contents. Soil solution contents of F−, Cl−, NO−3, Br−, SO42−, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, were analyzed, as well as inorganic, organic, and total C contents, pH, and EC, in four successive sampling times. Soil solution chemical composition extracted by the Suolo Acqua sampler is similar to that collected by the HM, but the Suolo Acqua extracted more Na+ and soluble organic C than the HM solution. Solution EC, cation and anion concentrations, and soluble C levels are higher in the soil with greater clay and OM contents (Latossolo and Cambissolo in this case). Soil solution composition varied over time, with considerable changes in pH, EC, and nutrient concentrations, especially associated with soil OM. Thus, single and isolated sampling of the soil solution must be avoided, otherwise composition of the soil solution may not be correctly evaluated. Soil solution EC was regulated by pH, as well as the sum of cation and anion concentrations, and the C contents determined in the soil liquid phase.

ABSTRACT The composition of organic waste (OW) and its effect on soil processes may change soil fertility and electrical conductivity (EC). The side effects of waste use in crop fertilization are poorly understood for Brazilian soils. This study examined the effect of the addition of 15 different organic wastes to Oxisols and a Neosol on pH, base saturation, EC, cation exchange capacity (CEC at pH 7), and the availability of Al, macro (P, K, Ca2+, Mg2+ and S) and micronutrients (B, Fe2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+). Soil samples (150 g) were treated with chicken, pig, horse, cattle, and quail manures, sewage sludge 1 and 2, eucalyptus sawdust, plant substrate, coconut fiber, pine bark, coffee husk, peat, limed compost, and biochar. Wastes were added considering a fixed amount of C (2 g kg-1), which resulted in waste rates ranging from 2.5 to 25.6 Mg ha-1. The soil-waste mixtures were incubated for 330 days in laboratory conditions. The waste liming or acidification values were soil-dependent. The use of some manures and compost increased the pH to levels above of those considered adequate for plant growth. The soil EC was slightly increased in the Neosol and in the medium textured Oxisol, but it was sharply changed (from 195 to 394 µS cm-1) by the addition of organic wastes in the clayey Oxisol, although the EC values were below the range considered safe for plant growth. Changes in the soil availability of P, K+, Ca2+ and Zn2+ were highly related to the inputs of these nutrients by the wastes, and other factors in soil changed due to waste use. Organic waste use simultaneously affects different soil fertility attributes; thus, in addition to the target nutrient added to the soil, the soil acidity buffering capacity and the waste liming and agronomic value must be taken into account in the waste rate definition.

Na determinação dos teores de carbono (C) em resíduos orgânicos, são utilizadas variações de marchas analíticas empregadas para solos, sem a necessária calibração. Assim, torna-se necessário avaliar e calibrar métodos de determinação dos teores de C e de matéria orgânica (MO) nesses materiais, tendo como referência o método da combustão seca. Objetivou-se neste estudo: avaliar métodos de determinação dos teores de carbono total (CT), carbono orgânico (CO) e MO em amostras de resíduos orgânicos diversificadas; determinar um modelo matemático de conversão de C e MO de um método analítico para outro; e avaliar a possibilidade de o método da mufla ser utilizado em rotina de laboratórios para análise de teores de MO e inferência de teores de CT em resíduos orgânicos. Foram avaliados os teores de CT, CO e MO em 42 amostras de compostos, estercos, resíduos vegetais, lodos de esgoto e camas de frango e de suíno, cujas coletas foram realizadas em 2010, em municípios do Sul de Minas Gerais e em Jundiaí-SP. As amostras foram secas em estufa a 65 ºC, por 48 h, maceradas e passadas em peneiras com malha de 0,250 mm e analisadas. Os métodos utilizados nas análises foram: Walkley-Black modificado - Yeomans & Bremner (YB), combustão seca a 950 ºC (analisador TOC) e combustão em mufla a 550 ºC, para as determinações de CO, CT e MO, respectivamente. Os teores de CT nos resíduos orgânicos variaram de 8,5 a 51,4 %. O método de Yeomans & Bremner subestima os teores de C em relação ao método da combustão seca. Em função da determinação dos teores de MO e CO e de uso de equações matemáticas, é possível estimar os teores de CT pelo método da combustão seca.

In the determination of carbon contents in organic residues, analytical methods for soils are frequently employed without adequate calibration. Thus, methods capable to determine the levels of C and organic matter (OM) in organic residues must be tested and calibrated, using as a reference the dry combustion method. The objectives of this study were to evaluate methods for determining the levels of total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC) and OM in organic residue samples; to determine mathematical equations for the conversion of OM and OC in TC quantified by the dry combustion method and to assess the viability to the muffle method for the routine of laboratories for OM quantification and to infere the TC contents in organic residues. In 2010, samples from 42 composts, crop residues, manures, sewage sludge, coffee husk, and sawdust, among others were collected in municipalities of the Southern region of Minas Gerais and in Jundiaí-São Paulo. The samples were dried at 65 °C for 48 hours, crushed and sieved (0.250 mm opening) and analyzed. The following methods were tested: modified Walkley-Black, Yeomans and Bremner (YB), dry combustion (TOC analyzer) and muffle (M) combustion at 550 ºC, for the determination of OC, TC, and OM, respectively. TC contents in organic residues varied from 8.5 to 51.4 %. The Yeomans and Bremner (YB) method underestimates the C content when compared to the dry combustion method. Based on the OM and OC contents and mathematical equations, the TC combustion method contents can be estimated.

Em razão de diferentes tipos de manejo utilizados na cafeicultura, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo quantificar as alterações de alguns atributos físicos de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo cultivado com cafeeiro, após quatro anos da implantação, no Sul de Minas Gerais, sob três sistemas de manejo em comparação à mata nativa. Foram avaliados os seguintes sistemas de manejo: lavoura cafeeira com mecanização (CCM), lavoura cafeeira sem mecanização (CSM), lavoura cafeeira sob sistema adensado (CA) e mata nativa (MN), utilizada como referência. Foram coletadas amostras indeformadas, com o auxílio de um amostrador de Uhland e anéis de alumínio de 6,35 cm de diâmetro por 2,54 cm de altura, nas profundidades de 0-3 e 15-18 cm, sendo esta última a camada de máxima resistência mecânica determinada previamente por penetrometria. As amostras foram retiradas em duas posições nas lavouras cafeeiras, sendo na linha de tráfego das máquinas e na projeção da copa dos cafeeiros, nos manejos CCM e CSM; no centro das entrelinhas e na projeção da copa do cafeeiro, no manejo CA; e aleatório, na mata nativa, com quatro repetições, totalizando 56 amostras. Os atributos físicos avaliados foram densidade do solo (Ds), densidade de partícula (Dp), resistência do solo à penetração (RP), volume total de poros (VTP), macroporosidade (Ma), microporosidade (Mi) e relação Ma/Mi. O sistema de café com mecanização alterou as propriedades físicas, na posição de linha de tráfego de máquinas, indicadas pelo aumento da densidade do solo e resistência do solo à penetração e pela redução do volume total de poros, macroporosidade e da relação macro/microporosidade, quatro anos após o plantio. Comparando as profundidades, o sistema de café com mecanização apresentou menores valores de macroporosidade e relação macro/ microposidade e maiores valores de microporosidade e resistência do solo à penetração, na profundidade de 0-3 cm, quatro anos após o plantio.

In view of the different managements used in coffee production, this study aimed to quantify the changes of some physical properties of an Oxisol under four-year-old coffee, in southern Minas Gerais. Three management systems were compared to native forest. The following management systems were evaluated: mechanized coffee production (CCM), coffee without mechanization (CSM), dense coffee plantation (CA) and native forest (MN) as reference. Undisturbed samples were collected with an Uhland sampler and aluminum rings (diameter 6.35 cm, height 2.54 cm), from the layers 0-3 cm and 15-18 cm; in the latter the maximum mechanical resistance had been previously determined by a penetrometer. The coffee plantations were sampled at two points, i.e., in the wheel track and under the trees (canopy projection) under CCM and CSM management, in-between coffee rows and under the trees under CA management, and randomly in native forest, with four replications, totaling 56 samples. The physical properties soil bulk density (BD), particle density (Dp), soil resistance to penetration (RP), total pore volume (VTP), macroporosity (Ma) and microporosity (Mi) and Ma/Mi ratio were evaluated. The mechanized coffee system affected the physical properties in the wheel track, as indicated by increases in soil density and soil penetration resistance and reduced total porosity, macroporosity and Ma/Mi ratio, four years after planting. In the 0-3 cm layer, macroporosity and Ma/Mi ratio were lower in the mechanized coffee system and microporosity, and penetration resistance higher than in the deeper layer, four years after planting.