Intensive soil cultivation using heavy machinery, especially when soil moisture content is relatively high, has caused degradation of the physical properties of soil, mainly soil compaction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical quality of soil of some irrigated regions of Brazil and to collect information necessary to guide soil management decisions. This study was carried out in areas irrigated by center pivots in the States of Goiás, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The soil profile was divided into three soil layers: superficial, intermediate and inferior. The following determinations were conducted: soil texture, bulk density, particle density and soil porosity. Soil types were grouped according to clay content. For each group of clay content, critical values of bulk density and soil macroporosity were established above which (bulk density) and below which (macroporosity) the soil sample were characterized as compacted. Considering the entire area sampled in the superficial layer, 14.2% of the samples collected in Goiás, 9.5% of soil samples collected in Minas Gerais and 34% of the samples collected in São Paulo presented indications of soil compaction as a function of bulk density and macroporosity.
soil compaction; bulk density; soil porosity
