Avaliação da compactação em planossolo sob sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária-floresta no agreste paraibano

Abstract

The physical characteristics of soil are extremely important for the proper development of crops, especially in modern agriculture, which demands more significant results due to the high investment involved. Soil management and its impact on quality have been the subject of various studies and debates aimed at finding alternatives that allow for increasingly efficient soil management and, consequently, sustainable agriculture. By using soil preparation techniques, it is possible to improve sowing conditions, control the emergence of weeds, pests, and diseases, as well as enhance the physical characteristics of the soil, aiming for increased water infiltration capacity and aeration, along with a reduction in soil mechanical resistance to penetration. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanical resistance to penetration in a Planosol under an integrated crop-livestock-forest system in the Agreste region of Paraíba. Since July 2015, the experiment has been conducted at the Experimental Station of the Paraíba Company for Research, Rural Extension, and Land Regularization (EMPAER), located in Alagoinha (PB). The municipality of Alagoinha is situated in the Agreste Paraibano mesoregion. The soil in which the experimental area was established was classified as a sandy loam Haplic Planosol. The experimental design adopted was randomized blocks (DBC), with five treatments and four replicates (5x4). The treatments consisted of the following consortiums: I) Brachiaria decumbens Stapf; II) Annual crop; III) Sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) + Brachiaria decumbens Stapf; IV) Ipê (Tabebuia alba (Chamiso) Sandwith) + Brachiaria decumbens Stapf; and V) Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) + Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. According to the obtained results, the mechanical resistance to penetration ranged from low to high among the treatments. The Brachiaria decumbens + Gliricidia treatment showed high resistance, while the Sabiá + Brachiaria decumbens treatment showed low resistance. Regarding depth, it was observed that, for most treatments, the superficial layer presented lower resistance, with the Brachiaria decumbens treatment standing out.