Converting Low-Productivity Pasture to Well-Managed Pasture and Silvopastoral System Cause Relevant Changes in Soil Chemical and Microbiological Characteristics

Abstract

This study evaluated the chemical and microbiological soil attributes in a silvopastoral system compared to well-managed pasture, degraded pasture, and Cerrado vegetation in Brazil. A randomized design with four replications was employed to collect soil samples at seven depths. These samples were analyzed for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Soil microbial attributes were also evaluated at three depths during the dry and wet seasons. Carbon stocks in the evaluated systems varied (0–100 cm), with the highest stocks found in well-managed pasture (MP) (129.5 Mg C ha−1), followed by the silvopastoral system (SPS) (106.6 Mg C ha−1), and the lowest values in native vegetation (NV) (84.8 Mg C ha−1) and degraded pasture (DP) (63.4 Mg C ha−1). Higher pH and base sum were observed in MP. Soil microbial biomass (Cmic) did not differ between treatments during the wet season but was generally higher in MP and lower in DP during the dry season. MP effectively regulated the chemical and biological quality of the soil. The SPS demonstrated that it is possible to combine the cultivation of trees and pastures in the same area, contributing to the improvement of the chemical and biological attributes of the soil in the Brazilian Cerrado.