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ABSTRACT: Land use and tillage practices may change soil structure and undermine sustainable agriculture; however, such changes are hardly identified in the short term. In this sense, agroforestry systems have been used to reduce soil degradation and promote sustainable production in coffee plantations. These areas are expected to have well-structured soils and hence improved root distribution. This study aimed to evaluate soil quality by the morphostructural and root distribution analyses comparing open-grown coffee and coffee in agroforestry systems with rubber trees for 19 years, in an Oxisol in northern Paraná State (Brazil). Treatments consisted of open-grown coffee (OG), coffee partially shaded by rubber trees (PSH), and coffee fully shaded by rubber trees (FSH). The mapping of morphostructural features and soil resistance to penetration in “cultural profile” walls identified changes in soil structure resulting from different tillage systems. Root distribution was better in coffee plants grown in PSH and FSH systems. At greater depths, cultural profiles of FSH and PSH showed a larger numbers of roots compared to OG. Among the three systems, PSH provided a better environment for root growth and distribution. This result could be attributed to the high biological activity and interaction between roots and aggregates in that profile. The FSH agroforestry system provided less compact morphological structures and more roots throughout the soil profile. The agroforestry systems presented fewer soil structural changes by tillage operations and lower values of soil penetration resistance. Coffee root distribution was an effective indicator of soil quality and consistent with the morphostructural characterization of cultural profile.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes quantidades de palhada sobre o sistema radicular e a produtividade da cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum), de primeira e segunda soqueiras, em Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico. Seis tratamentos foram avaliados : 0, 5 (25%), 10 (50%), 15 (75%) e 20 Mg ha-1 (100%) de palhada e cana-queimada, na primeira e segunda soqueiras. Utilizou-se a cana-de-açúcar 'SP80-1816'. Avaliou-se a massa de raízes a 0,45 e 0,75 m de distância da linha de plantio, até 0,60 m de profundidade. Na primeira soqueira, os tratamentos com 50, 75 e 100% de palhada proporcionaram maior massa radicular até 0,20 m de profundidade, em comparação aos tratamentos cana-queimada, 0 e 5 Mg ha-1 (25%) de palhada. Os tratamentos com 50 e 75% de palhada proporcionaram produtividades 43% maiores do que a da cana-queimada (110 Mg ha-1). O tratamento com 10 Mg ha-1 (50%) foi suficiente para proporcionar aumento da massa radicular e da produtividade da cana-de-açúcar. O sistema radicular e a produtividade da cana-de-açúcar são favorecidos pela mudança do sistema de colheita de cana-queimada para o de cana sob palhada.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes quantidades de palhada sobre os índices biométricos e fisiológicos e sobre a produtividade da cana-de-açúcar, no primeiro ciclo de cultivo (cana-planta) da variedade SP 801816. Cinco tratamentos - com 0, 25, 50, 75 e 100% de palhada - foram avaliados aos 60, 180, 270 e 350 dias após o plantio. Determinaram-se os seguintes índices biométricos: área foliar, número de folhas, massa de matéria fresca e número de perfilhos. Os índices fisiológicos foram: índice de área foliar (IAF), taxa de crescimento da cultura (TCC) e taxa de crescimento relativo (TCR). Observou-se efeito significativo da palhada em todas as variáveis. Os tratamentos com 100, 75 e 50% de palhada proporcionaram os maiores valores de IAF, TCC, TCR e número de perfilhos, e os tratamentos com 50 e 75%, as maiores produtividades. A manutenção da palhada em superfície não foi prejudicial ao desenvolvimento da cultura. A retirada total ou a manutenção de 25% da palhada resultaram nas menores produtividades. A retirada de 50% da palhada não causa prejuizos à cultura.

ABSTRACT: Mechanical harvesting leaves in its wake a considerable amount of straw in the field, which can be effectively utilized to improve the soil condition and sugarcane yield. However, there is no specific information as to the quantity of straw mulch required to achieve such effects and as to whether it can be used in other sectors for bioelectricity and ethanol production. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of removing different amounts of straw from the field and its impact on the yield and industrial quality of sugarcane ratoons. The experiment was carried out on Rhodic soil where six treatments were evaluated including 0 %, 25 % (5 Mg ha−1), 50 % (10 Mg ha−1), 75 % (15 Mg ha−1), 100 % (20 Mg ha−1) straw on the soil surface and burned sugarcane (where 100 % of the straw was burned). The influence on yield and industrial quality was calculated using total soluble solids, Pol (Apparent sucrose content), apparent purity, total sugars, reducing sugars and fiber. Shifting the harvesting system from burned cane to growing under straw mulch improved crop yield as well as favoring sugar contents during water deficit conditions. The straw left on the soil did not affect industrial quality in any way during the trials; however, under drought conditions, treatments with 50 and 75 % of straw resulted in a 76 % higher yield compared to burned sugarcane, and 29 % more than the 0 %, 25 % to 100 % treatments of straw mulch thus favoring higher sugar production. The removal of 50 % of the straw caused no damage to the sugarcane crop.