Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the conversion of "murundu" (little natural mounds) field areas into no-tillage agricultural systems on the stocks of soil organic C and total N, on their fractions in soil organic matter, and on aggregate stability. The study was carried out in a chronosequence of 7, 11, and 16 years of conversion into a no-tillage system, and in two reference areas characterized as top mounds (TM) and between mounds (BM). Soil C content varied according to the time of conversion into agricultural areas at all soil depths, except in the BM area. Organic C stocks showed negative effects of the conversion of native area into an agricultural system, and the largest stocks were observed in the BM and TM areas. The carbon management index increased over time after no-tillage adoption, in relation to TM, and soil properties improved with the increase in PD adoption time from 7 to 16 years, but organic C stocks in the converted areas did not return to the levels observed in the reference areas.
Index terms:
Cerrado; crop chronosequence; aggregate stability; soil carbon stock; labile fraction; carbon management index
