Abstract

COLET, Marcelo José; SVERZUT, Cláudio Bianor; WEIRICH NETO, Pedro Henrique  and  SOUZA, Zigomar Menezes de. Changes in soil physical attributes in pasture after chisel plowing. Ciênc. agrotec. [online]. 2009, vol.33, n.2, pp. 361-368. ISSN 1413-7054.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-70542009000200001.

Soil compaction is considered one of the main causes of pasture degradation. Several techniques can be applied to reduce compacted soil layers. Chisel plowing is one of the farming expedients that present the most positive aspects regarding the soil conservation management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil penetration resistance, soil porosity and bulk density in an oxisol soil of a pasture field after chisel plowing. The experiment was set up in Nova Odessa (SP) on a Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. field, using a chisel plow with cutting discs and winged tips. The soil penetration resistance was evaluated with an electronic hydraulic penetrographer, and the porosity and bulk density with undeformed samples. The soil layers identified by multivariate data analysis of the soil penetration resistance were changed by soil scarification. The soil scarification procedure decreased the soil penetration resistance. The soil scarification showed the highest changes in physical attributes in the layer of 0.0-0.1 m, between the lines of the chisel plow shanks.

Keywords : Soil compaction; soil degradation; soil penetration resistance.