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The partial raw sugarcane system (SCCP) involves the partial removal of sugarcane straw for the production of bioenergy. Our objective was to verify the possibility of increasing the longevity of the cane field in the partial cane system, based on evaluations of soil fertility, plant nutrient content, and productivity. A randomized block design was used in very clayey, Eutropheric Red Latosol, with three replications and five residual amounts of straw (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Mg ha−1). The TOC; pH; H + Al3+, P, Ca, Mg, K, and CTC (T) content; V%; Ca, Mg, and K saturations in CTC (T); levels of macro and micronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, and Zn) in sugarcane leaves; and the productivity of stalks and sugar were analyzed for two harvests. The results of each harvest were subjected to regression (p

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.

The farming practices have a direct impact in ecosystems and cause changes in the basic structures involved in the environment. Cultivated soils, after years of use, show changes in the physical, chemical and biological attributes, requiring improve production processes, with the intention of management alternatives that minimize environmental degradation and, consequently increasing the sustainability of agricultural environment. In the search for sustainable agricultural practices, it indicates the green manure, which is the use of plants in rotation or intercropped with crops of economic interest. The practice of green manure provides many improvements in chemical, physical and biological characteristics, through increases in organic matter content and microbial activity, nutrient cycling, disruptions of compacted layers, decreased erosion, incidence of pests and diseases, and suppression of weed plants. Thus, appearing to be an agricultural practice efficiently for sustainable fruit production system. In this sense, the present study aims to conduct a literature review on the benefits of green manure in fruticulture in order to improve soil quality and use in agriculture. Key words: Cover crop, root system, sustainable management.