Alterações nos atributos de luvissolo sob irrigação na região do submédio do Rio São Francisco, Pernambuco

Abstract

Irrigation stands out as a fundamental technology to ensure the sustainability of the agricultural production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. It may also assure the economic development of the region, which would not have economic viability without it. The use of irrigation in semi-arid regions may lead to changes in the soil moisture patterns and it may also cause various effects on the soil properties and processes, contributing to changes on the physical, chemical, mineralogical, microbiological attributes and its pedogenesis. This work aims to characterize two soil profiles morphologically, chemically, physically, mineralogically and microbiologically. One of them has been under irrigation for over 26 years and the other one under its natural conditions. They are both located at the sub-medium region of the São Francisco River, in the city of Belém de São Francisco. Two soil profiles were open for the soil characterization, one in an area under irrigation and other in a non-irrigated area, which were described morphologically and had deformed and undeformed samples collected. Samples were also collected for microbiological studies, which were kept under refrigeration from field up to the laboratory. The samples were submitted to physical, chemical, mineralogical, and microbiological analyzes aiming to identify possible alterations due to the use of irrigation, and changes in the processes related to formation and evolution of these soils. The Profile 1 (P1) located at an irrigated area was classified as Luvissolo Crômico Órtico vertissólico; and the Profile 2 (P2) as Luvissolo Crômico Órtico sódico vertissólico sálico. Regarding chemistry and morphology the profiles suffered a few alterations. The profile P2 showed salic conditions. However, regarding mineralogy the profiles presented some differences, which were greater in the Profile P1. The microbial communities structure, different from what was expected in the irrigated profile, presented a substantial difference in depth relating to bacteria, on the other hand fungi presented a greater similarity relating to depth. However, the two groups showed a new community in the Profile P1. Carbon Management index was considered positive and the labile carbon had a great influence in the soil organic carbon.