Qualidade do solo dos tabuleiros costeiros de Pernambuco em função do uso de poliacrilamida

Abstract

Water soluble polymers are characterized as efficient flocculating agent whose application in soils with cohesive horizons influence, potentially, improving the physical quality and thus extends the agricultural potential of these soils. In this context, the polyacrylamide (PAM) is characterized by its versatility as a chemical amendment, one of the most important commercial polymers for agricultural purposes. Thus, this research proposed to assess the soils quality of the Coastal Tablelands of Pernambuco State inferred by the reduction of the cohesion and improving physical and hydraulic properties by application of PAM as chemical amendment. Therefore, we evaluated three horizons (one cohesive and two non cohesive) of an cohesive Yellow Argisol and, for comparative purposes, we selected the horizon that expresses the maximum cohesion of a Yellow Latosol. We examined PAM aqueous solutions (12.5, 50.0, 100.0 mg kg-1) and distilled water (control). The attributes avaluated were: aggregate stability and aggregate size distribution, resistance penetration, saturated hydraulic conductivity, porosity (macroporosity + mesoporosity + microporosity), characteristics of the water retention curve, plasticity limit, water dispersible clay, cation exchange capacity and Al3+ exchangeable. Treatment mean comparisons were made using the Scott-Knott honestly significant difference test at a significance level of 0,05. The PAM solutions increased structural stability of cohesive horizons, but the improving physical of cohesive horizons was controlled by the intrinsic characteristics of the horizons and of the PAM molecule used in the research. Studies with other formulations of PAM related cohesive character are necessary for their mitigation and understanding of soil-polymer interactions.