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Vigorous Eucalyptus plantations produce 105 to 106 km ha−1 of fine roots that probably increase carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in rhizosphere soil. However, the quantitative importance of rhizosphere priming is still unknown for most ecosystems, including these plantations. Therefore, the objective of this work was to propose and evaluate a mechanistic model for the prediction of rhizosphere C and N cycling in Eucalyptus plantations. The potential importance of the priming effect was estimated for a typical Eucalyptus plantation in Brazil. The process-based model (ForPRAN – Forest Plantation Rhizosphere Available Nitrogen) predicts the change in rhizosphere C and N cycling resulting from root growth and consists of two modules: (1) fine-root growth and (2) C and N rhizosphere cycling. The model describes a series of soil biological processes: root growth, rhizodeposition, microbial uptake, enzymatic synthesis, depolymerization of soil organic matter, microbial respiration, N mineralization, N immobilization, microbial death, microbial emigration and immigration, and soil organic matter (SOM) formation. Model performance was quantitatively and qualitatively satisfactory when compared to observed data in the literature. Input variables with the most influence on rhizosphere N mineralization were (in order of decreasing importance) root diameter > rhizosphere thickness > soil temperature > clay concentration. The priming effect in a typical Eucalyptus plantation producing 42 m3 ha−1 yr−1 of shoot biomass, with assumed losses of 40 % of total N mineralized, was estimated to be 24.6 % of plantation N demand (shoot + roots + litter). The rhizosphere cycling model should be considered for adaptation to other forestry and agricultural production models where the inclusion of such processes offers the potential for improved model performance.

Author(s): Souza, IF; Almeida, LFJ; Jesus, GL; Pett-Ridge, J; Nico, PS; Kleber, M; Silva, IR | Abstract: Interactions with pedogenic oxides are a known mechanism of soil organic matter (SOM) protection, but little is known about how the protective power of pedogenic oxides varies with soil depth in highly weathered tropical soils. To address this issue, we followed the decomposition of a double-labeled plant litter (13C/15N) in microcosm experiments using samples collected at four depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-40, and 60-100 cm) from six Brazilian Oxisols. These soils were selected to include a range of taxonomic subtypes, spanning wide variations in mineralogy and texture. After a 12-mo incubation, we quantified the proportion of isotopically-labeled SOM (13C/15N) within the mineral fraction l53 μm (i.e., clay+silt). We found that litter-C retention increased with depth, while the opposite occurred for litter-N. Correlations between isotopicallylabeled SOM and short-range order (SRO) Al-/Fe-(hydr)oxides were insignificant in topsoil (0-10 cm), but increased with depth, reaching peak significance in the 20- to 40-cm interval (r = 0.64 and 0.58, for litter-C and -N, respectively). A similar trend was observed for crystalline Al-/Fe-(hydr)oxides, which were more strongly correlated with the retention of 13C than 15N. We posit that in subsoil, both SRO and crystalline Al-/Fe-(hydr)oxides are more readily involved in the neoformation of mineral-organic associations. Overall, litter-C is less efficiently transferred into the clay+silt fraction of C-rich topsoil relative to C-depleted subsoil horizons, which may represent a significant C sink for Oxisols.

O número de passadas das máquinas, os tipos de rodados e a alta umidade do solo durante as operações de colheita agravam o processo de compactação, devendo-se conhecer esses impactos e quais alternativas para reduzí-los. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o impacto de diferentes frequências de tráfego doforwarder e o efeito de condições distintas de resíduos da colheita do eucalipto ao fim da rotação subsequente na produtividade, nos atributos físicos do solo e nos teores de matéria orgânica de um Latossolo Vermelho (LV), localizado em São João Evangelista, MG, e um Latossolo Amarelo (LA), localizado em Belo Oriente, MG. Os tratamentos consistiram de um esquema fatorial 2 × 3, sendo: duas ou oito passadas na entrelinha sobre resíduo da colheita sem casca; com casca; e sem resíduo. A perda de produtividade dos plantios pela compactação do solo proveniente das passadas doforwarder é atenuada com a permanência dos resíduos da colheita especialmente com a manutenção da casca na área. A remoção de resíduo, particularmente quando há remoção da casca, leva à redução dos teores de C orgânico total e de frações mais lábeis de C e N do solo. O tráfego do forwarder na colheita do eucalipto da rotação anterior sobre solo sem resíduos promove perdas na qualidade física do solo, com aumento da densidade do solo e resistência à penetração, e redução na porosidade e condutividade hidráulica do solo. Esses efeitos negativos perduraram até o final da rotação seguinte. The number of machine passes, types of wheels, and high soil moisture during harvest operations affect the soil compaction process. The impacts of these factors and alternatives to reduce them must be better understood. This study evaluated the impact of different traffic intensities of a loaded forwarder and the effect of different management conditions of eucalyptus harvest residues on productivity, soil physical properties, and organic matter at the end of the subsequent rotation in two Oxisols in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The treatments consisted of a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement: two or eight machine passes between rows over crop residue without bark, crop residue with bark, or an area without residue. Eucalypt wood productivity losses due to soil compaction caused by forwarder traffic is mitigated by the presence of harvest residues, especially when bark is maintained in the area. Residue removal, and especially bark removal, leads to reduction in total organic C content and the more labile C and N fractions of the soil. Forwarder traffic in the harvest of the previous rotation of eucalyptus on soil without residues leads to losses in soil physical quality, with increased bulk density and resistance to penetration, and reduction in porosity and hydraulic conductivity. These negative effects were observed up to the end of the following rotation.

The relationships between plants and endophytic bacteria significantly contribute to plant health and yield. However, the microbial diversity in leaves of Eucalyptus spp. is still poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the endophytic diversity in leaves of hybrid Eucalyptus grandis x E. urophylla (Eucalyptus “urograndis”) by using culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches, to better understand their ecology in leaves at different stages of Eucalyptus development, including bacteria with N2 fixation potential. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria (classes alpha-, beta- and gamma-) and Actinobacteria were identified in the Eucalyptus “urograndis” endophytic bacterial community. Within this community, the species Novosphingobium barchaimii, Rhizobium grahamii, Stenotrophomonas panacihumi, Paenibacillus terrigena, P. darwinianus and Terrabacter lapilli represent the first report these bacteria as endophytes. The diversity of the total endophytic bacteria was higher in the leaves from the ‘field’ (the Shannon–Wiener index, 2.99), followed by the indices obtained in the ‘clonal garden’ (2.78), the ‘recently out from under shade (2.68), ‘under shade’ (2.63) and ‘plants for dispatch’ (2.51). In contrast, for diazotrophic bacteria, the highest means of these indices were obtained from the leaves of plants in the ‘under shade’ (2.56), ‘recently out from under shade (2.52)’ and ‘field’ stages (2.54). The distribution of the endophytic bacterial species in Eucalyptus was distinct and specific to the development stages under study, and many of the species had the potential for nitrogen fixation, raising the question of whether these bacteria could contribute to overall nitrogen metabolism of Eucalyptus.

Apesar da grande quantidade de N acumulada em plantações de eucalipto de alta produtividade, o aumento em volume do tronco em resposta à aplicação de N não tem sido expressivo nem consistente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito de doses e fontes de N sobre o crescimento e o acúmulo de N em plantas de eucalipto, na serapilheira, além do impacto nas frações da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). O experimento foi instalado em campo, no município de Itamarandiba-MG, em blocos ao acaso com três repetições, consistindo da aplicação em cobertura de doses (0, 60, 120 e 240 kg ha^-1) e fontes de N distintas (sulfato de amônio e nitrato de amônio) em clone de eucalipto (AEC1528®). O efeito dos tratamentos sobre o crescimento e acúmulo de N nas plantas foi avaliado aos 30 meses de idade, abatendo-se árvores com DAP médio e separando-as em lenho, casca, galhos e folhas, para determinação da produção de matéria seca e dos teores e conteúdos de nutrientes das plantas. Amostras de solo e de serapilheira foram coletadas para análises de nutrientes. Os teores de C e N total da matéria orgânica particulada (MOP) e da matéria orgânica associada à fração mineral (MOAM) foram determinados por espectrometria de massa de razão isotópica, após separação física da MOS. As análises estatísticas consistiram de análise de variância e de regressão. A aplicação de adubos nitrogenados promoveu aumento no crescimento volumétrico do tronco e na matéria seca da parte aérea. A dose de N como sulfato de amônio para obter 90 % da produção máxima foi de 74 kg ha^-1, a qual resultou em incremento de 42,3 % no volume de tronco em relação à testemunha sem adubação nitrogenada. Na dose de 120 kg ha^-1 de N, não houve diferença de resposta à aplicação de sulfato de amônio e nitrato de amônio. Não foram detectadas alterações nos estoques de C e N da MOS com a adubação nitrogenada. No entanto, houve aumento da absorção de Ca, Mg e S. A taxa de recuperação aparente de N no campo foi maior na dose de 120 kg ha^-1 de N, atingindo 34,4 %. In spite of the high amount of N accumulated in high-yielding, short-rotation eucalyptus plantations, no significant or consistent increases in trunk volume have been observed in response to N fertilization. This experiment evaluated the effect of N fertilization on the growth and chemical composition of eucalyptus as well as its role in soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization. The field experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with three replications, in Itamarandiba- MG. Two N sources (ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate) of increasing N rates (0, 60, 120, 240 kg ha^-1) were tested on the eucalyptus clones AEC1528®. The effect of the treatments on tree growth and N accumulation were evaluated in 30 month-old trees with average DBH, which were harvested and separated in stem, bark, branches, and leaves to determine dry matter production and nutrient contents. Soil and forest litter samples were collected for chemical analyses. Total C and N content of particulate organic matter (POM) and organic matter associated to the mineral fraction (OMAM) were quantified by mass spectrometry (IRMS) after physical separation of SOM. The statistical analyses consisted of variance analysis and regression. Nitrogen fertilization increased trunk volume and aerial dry matter. The estimated N rate to obtain 90 % of the maximum trunk volume was 74 kg ha^-1 in the form of ammonium sulfate, and increased the yield by 42.3 % in comparison to the control plot without N fertilization. In response to N rates of 120 kg ha^-1, no difference was observed between ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. No alterations in SOM C and N stocks were detected due to N application. However, there was an increase in Ca, Mg and S absorption. The apparent N recovery rate in the field was highest at the N rate of 120 kg ha^-1, reaching 34.4%.

The eutrophication of aquifers is strongly linked to the mobility of P in soils. Although P mobility was considered irrelevant in a more distant past, more recent studies have shown that P, both in organic (Po) and inorganic forms (Pi), can be lost by leaching and eluviation through the soil profile, particularly in less weathered and/or sandier soils with low P adsorption capacity. The purpose of this study was to determine losses of P forms by leaching and eluviation from soil columns. Each column consisted of five PVC rings (diameter 5 cm, height 10 cm), filled with two soil types: a clayey Red-Yellow Latosol and a sandy loam Red-Yellow Latosol, which were exposed to water percolation. The soils were previously treated with four P rates (as KH2PO4 ) to reach 0, 12.5, 25.0 and 50 % of the maximum P adsorption capacity (MPAC). The P source was homogenized with the whole soil volume and incubated for 60 days. After this period the soils were placed in the columns; the soil of the top ring was mixed with five poultry litter rates of 0, 20, 40, 80, and 160 t ha-1 (dry weight basis). Treatments consisted of a 4 x 5 x 2 factorial scheme corresponding to four MPAC levels, five poultry litter rates, two soils, with three replications, arranged in a completely randomized block design. Deionized water was percolated through the columns 10 times in 35 days to simulate about 1,200 mm rainfall. In the leachate of each column the inorganic P (reactive P, Pi) and organic P forms (unreactive P, Po) were determined. At the end of the experiment, the columns were disassembled and P was extracted with the extractants Mehlich-1 (HCl 0.05 mol L-1 and H2SO4 0.0125 mol L-1) and Olsen (NaHCO3 0.5 mol L-1; pH 8.5) from the soil of each ring. The Pi and Po fractions were measured by the Olsen extractant. It was found that under higher poultry litter rates the losses of unreactive P (Po) were 6.4 times higher than of reactive P (Pi). Both the previous P fertilization and increasing poultry litter rates caused a vertical movement of P down the soil columns, as verified by P concentrations extracted by Mehlich-1 and NaHCO3 (Olsen). The environmental critical level (ECL), i.e., the P soil concentration above which P leaching increases exponentially, was 100 and 150 mg dm-3 by Mehlich-1 and 40 and 60 mg dm-3 by Olsen, for the sandy loam and clay soils, respectively. In highly weathered soils, where residual P is accumulated by successive crops, P leaching through the profile can be significant, particularly when poultry litter is applied as fertilizer. A eutroficação de aquíferos está fortemente ligada à mobilidade de P nos solos. Embora essa mobilidade tenha sido considerada, num passado mais distante, como inexpressiva, estudos mais recentes têm mostrado que o P, tanto na forma orgânica (Po) quanto na inorgânica (Pi), pode se perder por percolação e eluviação de partículas através do perfil de solos, particularmente naqueles menos intemperizados e, ou, arenosos com menor adsorção de P. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar perdas por lixiviação e eluviação de formas de P em colunas de solos, constituídas por cinco anéis de PVC sobrepostos, com 5 cm de diâmetro e 10 cm de altura cada, submetidas a fluxos de percolação de água. Foram utilizadas amostras de dois Latossolos Vermelho-Amarelos, texturas argilosa e média. Os solos receberam, previamente, quatro doses de P na forma de KH2PO4, correspondentes a 0; 12,5; 25 e 50 % da capacidade máxima de adsorção de P (CMAP), homogeneizadas com todo o volume de solo das colunas e deixados em incubação por 60 dias. No anel superior, aplicou-se, homogeneamente, cama de aviário nas doses equivalentes a 0, 20, 40, 80 e 160 t ha-1; com base no peso do material seco. O experimento foi constituído pelo esquema fatorial: quatro níveis da CMAP, cinco doses de cama de aviário, dois solos, com três repetições dispostas em blocos casualizados. As colunas foram submetidas a 10 percolações com água deionizada, em duas aplicações semanais, durante 35 dias, de modo que se atingisse um volume aproximado de 1.200 mm. Nos lixiviados de cada coluna, foram determinados: P reativo (Pi) e P não reativo (Po). No final do experimento, o P no solo de cada anel foi extraído com Mehlich-1 e com NaHCO3 0,5 mol L-1; pH 8,5 (Olsen), sendo determinadas, para este último extrator, as formas Pi e Po. Com o aumento das doses aplicadas de cama de aviário, as perdas de P por lixiviação foram, em média, 6,4 vezes maiores na forma de P não reativo (Po) que no P-reativo (Pi). Tanto a fertilização mineral prévia com P quanto a aplicação de doses crescentes de cama de aviário causaram movimentação descendente de P nas colunas de solo, extraído tanto pelo Mehlich-1 quanto pelo NaHCO3 (Olsen). O nível crítico ambiental (NCA), teor de P disponível no solo acima do qual a percolação de P-reativo aumenta exponencialmente, foi de 100 e 150 mg dm-3 para o Mehlich-1 e de 40 e 60 mg dm-3 para o Olsen, para os solos de textura média e argilosa, respectivamente. Em solos intemperizados, com acúmulo de P residual ao longo dos cultivos, as perdas de P por lixiviação no perfil podem ser significativas, de modo particular quando fertilizados com cama de aviário.

Com o incremento exponencial da avicultura no Brasil, a disponibilidade de dejetos de aves e de cama de aviário tem aumentado de maneira semelhante. A proibição de uso desses produtos na ração animal tem feito com que eles sejam direcionados para a produção agrícola como fertilizantes. Ainda há na literatura carência de informação sobre lixiviação de bases no perfil do solo em conseqüência do efeito de ânions inorgânicos acompanhantes, como cloreto, nitrato e sulfato, e do efeito complexante de ácidos orgânicos de baixa massa molecular. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o efeito da aplicação de cama de aviário na lixiviação de Ca, Mg, K e Na em solos e sua associação com ânions inorgânicos e ácidos orgânicos de baixa molecular. Amostras de dois Latossolos Vermelho-Amarelos, um de textura média e outro de textura argilosa, foram colocadas em colunas de PVC constituídas de cinco anéis, cada um com 10 cm de altura e 5 cm de diâmetro, ligados entre si com fita adesiva. O solo colocado no anel superior recebeu, homogeneamente, cinco tipos de camas de aviário: casca de café, casca de arroz, sabugo de milho, capim-napier e maravalha, totalizando 160 t ha-1 de material seco, comparado à testemunha (sem a cama de aviário). O experimento constituiu um fatorial 5 x 2, com cinco camas e dois solos, dispostos em blocos casualizados com três repetições. As colunas foram submetidas a 10 percolações com água deionizada, duas vezes por semana, até atingirem o volume de 1.200 mm de chuvas. Nos 10 percolados, foram analisadas as concentrações de Ca, Mg, K e Na, dos ânions Cl-, NO3-e SO4(2-) e de ácidos orgânicos de baixa massa molecular. Houve grande lixiviação de bases nas colunas, principalmente até a terceira percolação. Esse fato foi causado pela adição dessas bases, em doses elevadas, pelas camas de aviário e, aparentemente, também pelo efeito dos ânions acompanhantes Cl-, NO3-e SO4(2-)no solo de textura média, Cl-e NO3-no solo de textura argilosa e, de maneira menos expressiva, pelo efeito acompanhante/complexante dos ácidos orgânicos de baixa massa molecular. No solo argiloso, a percolação de Ca esteve positivamente correlacionada com a concentração dos ácidos málico e oxálico. A concomitante elevada concentração de ácido acético nos percolados de solos tratados com todas as camas sugere que este pode estar favorecendo a lixiviação de bases no solo, provavelmente como ânion acompanhante. The exponential growth in poultry farming in Brazil has led to a parallel increase in the production of manure and poultry litter. The litter generated in this activity used to be largely employed as cattle feed. However, the enactment of a law that bans the use of poultry litter as animal feed intensified its use as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Despite its importance, there are gaps in our knowledge on an adequate use to obtain high plant yields without threatening the environment. One of these gaps is base-leaching in the soil profile as a result of the presence of accompanying anions such as chloride, nitrate and sulphate, and the complexing effect of low molecular mass organic acids. Samples of two Oxisols (a clayey and a sandy loam Red-Yellow Latosol) were placed in PVC columns. Each column consisted of five PVC rings (5 cm diameter, 10 cm height) fixed to each other with scotch tape. Five types of poultry litter (coffee husks, ground corn cob, rice husk, napier grass and wood shavings) were homogenously applied to the soil in the top ring in a dose equivalent to 160 t ha-1 (dry weight basis). The treatments consisted of a 5 x 2 + 1 factorial combination, corresponding to five poultry litter types, two soils with distinct textures, and a control treatment with no poultry litter application, with five repetitions, arranged in a complete randomized block design. Deionized water was applied on top of the columns twice a week, in a total volume corresponding to 1.200 mm, totaling 10 applications. Leachates were analyzed for cations (Ca, Mg, K and Na), anions (Cl-, NO3-and SO4(2-)) and low molecular mass organic acids by ion chromatography. Results indicate substantial base-leaching through the soil columns, particularly up to the third percolation. This was most likely a result of the presence of bases contained in the high poultry litter doses and the presence of accompanying anions (Cl-, NO3-and SO4(2-)in the sandy loam soil and Cl-and NO3-in the clayey soil). Ca leaching was positively correlated with the malic and oxalic acid concentrations in the clayey soil. High acetic acid concentration in leachates of poultry litter-treated soils suggest that it may have favored base-leaching in the soil profile as a result of its action as an ion pair.