Soil chemical and microbiological attributes under integrated production system in Oxisol of degraded pasture

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical attributes and quality of an Oxisol after one year of conversion of degraded pasture into integrated production system. The evaluated treatments were degraded pasture (PAST-Control); Eucalyptus, clone Urograndis 144 (Eucalyptus grandis x E. urophylla hybrid) intercropped with cor and marandu grass (Brachiaria brizantha) (integration crop-livestock-forest system - ICLFS-M); with maize and perennial horse gram (Macrotyloma axillare) (ICLFS-HG); and with maize, java and marandu grass (ICLFS-M+J); Monoculture of marandu grass (MAR) and perennial horse gram (HG); and marandu grass intercropped with Java/ perennial horse gram (H+M). Soil samples were collected in July/2015 and January/2016 in 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil depth layers. The soil attributes such as pH, organic matter, phosphorus, sum of bases, effective and potential cation exchange capacity and base saturation were evaluated. The implantation of ICLFS system contributed to increase of soil organic matter, sum of bases, effective and potential cation exchange capacity and soil base saturation. The soil biological activity was increased in the rainy season, and the soil microbial carbon increased in ICLFS-HG+M, ICLFS- HG, ICLFS-M and HG+M when compared to monocultures and PAST. Integrated production systems provide improved in soil quality even with a short time implementation.