Acidity is generally reduced in soils when organic matter is incorporated but the mechanisms of this alteration are still poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the kinetics of organic material degradation and acidity alterations. Samples taken from the 0-20 cm soil layer (Ustic Dystropepts) were incubated with five sources of organic matter: green manure (Canavalia ensiformis D.C), cattle manure, vinasse, sewage sludge and peat, at temperatures of 20 or 30 ºC. The experimental design was completely randomized. Closed jars were used for soil incubation, where the CO2 production was quantified by a conductimetric method, and soil samples were collected for pH (CaCl2) determinations. In general, a higher amount of CO2 was released in treatments incubated at 30 ºC. Vinasse was the material with the highest value of carbon mineralization accompanied by an accelerated degradation. Only for this material the accumulated CO2 amounts produced during incubation were well correlated to increases in soil pH. The fast mineralization of organic carbon from vinasse might cause a reducing environment, responsible for the decrease in soil acidity. We conclude that only in the vinasse assay the reduction of soil acidity was influenced by microbial activity.
microbial activity; soil acidity; organic matter decomposition; respirometry; organic carbon