Soil compaction has been identified as one of the main factors causing yield reduction of several crops. The use of the load carrying capacity models to identify management techniques which leads to alterations on soil density is a proven and consolidated methodology. This study was carried out to: a) generate load carrying capacity models for different uses and managements of an Oxisol; b) identify the land use or management that is most susceptible or most resistant to compaction by these models. The study was conducted in Passos, Minas Gerais. Seven land use and managements were evaluated in the study, namely: irrigated pastures before and after cattle trampling, non-irrigated pasture before and after cattle trampling, passage to the pickets, no-tillage corn, and native forest. Undisturbed soil samples of the 0-5 cm layer were subjected to uniaxial compression test. The load carrying capacity models of irrigated and non-irrigated pasture prior to cattle trampling did not differ from each other but from the native forest model. The load carrying capacity models of the irrigated pasture after trampling, non-irrigated pasture after trampling; no-tillage corn and passage to the pickets did not differ statistically, but did from the native forest model. Compared to the native forest, it was concluded that cattle trampling changed the soil structure.
Soil compaction; pasture; cattle trampling
