Agricultural soils are subject to change in their properties, according to the type of use and management systems adopted. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in different sampling sites, the physical properties of soils cultivated with conilon coffee under different managements in the South of Espirito Santo State, Brazil. Samples were collected from the layers 0,00-0,20 m and 0,20-0,40 m in the upper part of the coffee plant canopy, in relation to the direction of the slope. Coffee crops, representative of the South of the Espirito Santo State, with the same soil class (dystrophic Red Yellow Latosol (Oxisol) hilly relief), were used for the study ,including the following managements: M1 - drip irrigation, liming every two years, fertilization, cleared and use of the straw of conilon; M2 - manuring, cleared and weedings; M3 - weedings and mowing. For each management, the following sampling sites were evaluated: UT - upper third, MT - medium third; LT - lower third, along the slope. The physical soil properties evaluated were: bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity and soil resistance penetration. For the experimental conditions, the soil resistance penetration, the macroporosity and microporosity important physical indicators of the quality of the soil were shown, influenced by the management, sampling site and evaluation depth.
soil structure; soil use; Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner
