Distribuição espacial de atributos físicos e quantificação de poros via tomografia computadorizada em solo cultivado com cana-de-açúcar sob diferentes manejos

Abstract

The knowledge of the spatial distribution of soil attributes in managed areas is of extreme importance, since the processes that have produced such modifications, added to the man-made management, accentuate the variation of soil attributes and their understanding is fundamental for the refinement of the practices of Management and evaluation of the effects on the environment. The use of pore size distribution to infer structural changes from different cultivation practices is a phenomenon that is becoming common in the field of Soil Science. Advances in the application of computed tomography (μTC) for studies of pore size distribution have emerged as a new research tool to investigate the spatial distribution and pore diameters, as it is based on the structural evaluation of soils from 2D or 3D images. In this work, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the different managements on the physical attributes of the soil in order to explain the spatial variation and correlation between the physical and hydraulic attributes studied. The study was carried out in the agricultural area the Experimental Station of Carpina Sugarcane (EECAC) in a Haplohumults, with soil sampling in the 0.0-0.1 m layer, performed 20 months after establishment of the experiment. In each system of use (irrigated and rainfed), samples were collected between the lines of culture, using a sample grid pattern with dimensions of 56 x 35 m (1960 m²), with irregular spacing of 7 m x 8 m between the points, totalizing 32 samples per system of use. To characterize the spatial variability of the physical attributes, the following analyzes were performed: soil resistance penetration; Bulk density; Total porosity; Macroporosity, mesoporosity, microporosity; Saturated hydraulic conductivity; Geometric mean diameter and weighted average diameter. The soil water retention curve was constructed, followed by the pore size distribution, based on the spline cubic function and quantification of macropores (MAP) via computed tomography. The geostatistical approach associated with the multivariate techniques of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) allowed us to understand the relation of the pattern of spatial distribution exerted by the irrigated and rainfed landings on the physical properties of the soils; Characterizing that the irrigation effect favored the greater relation with attributes that are interconnected with the structural and soil quality standards. The results suggest that the management practices adopted are able to modify the soil structure under specific conditions, since the irrigation effect favored a more structured condition in the soil submitted to the PD, in which, based on the adopted techniques of evaluation, We can better understand these mechanisms, from the pore form to the distribution of macroporous MAPs by quantity and volume in the range of classes.