Ciencia del Suelo (Dec 2007)
Indicadores de calidad física en suelos de la Región Pampeana Norte de Argentina bajo siembra directa Physical quality indicators in soils from the northern Pampa region of Argentina under no till management
Abstract
El uso sustentable de las tierras requiere conservar propiedades edáficas que son importantes desde el punto de vista de la fertilidad y el laboreo del suelo. La alteración de las condiciones del suelo por el manejo puede afectar la producción de los cultivos debido a que influye en la distribución de la materia orgánica y dinámica de nutrientes; como así también sobre la agregación y porosidad del suelo. Una de las regiones del mundo donde los suelos han sido sujetos a un intenso uso agrícola durante las últimas décadas es la Región Pampeana Norte. En los últimos años los productores han adoptado la siembra directa en forma creciente. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar, en suelos representativos de esta región, parámetros de calidad física del suelo en sistemas agrícolas bajo siembra directa en comparación con el mismo tipo de suelo en su condición quasi-prístina. Se realizó la caracterización física de suelos cultivados de once establecimientos correspondientes a ensayos de la Red de Nutrición de la Región CREA Sur de Santa Fe ubicados en las provincias de Santa Fe, Córdoba y Buenos Aires. Se realizó además un muestreo en un sector adyacente sobre el mismo tipo de suelo en su condición quasi-prístina. Se extrajeron muestras compuestas de suelo a dos profundidades: 0-0,08 m y 0,08 m al límite inferior del horizonte Ap y se evaluó el porcentaje de agregados estables al agua (Ea) y al etanol (Ee), el carbono orgánico total (COT), la densidad aparente (DA) y la densidad del suelo máxima (DMAX). La resistencia mecánica (RM) se midió a intervalos de 0,05 m desde superficie hasta 0,35 m de profundidad. Se constituyeron dos grupos de suelos en función de la textura: el Grupo I (con un contenido de arcilla en superficie que oscila entre 215 y 265 g kg-1) y el Grupo II (suelos que poseen entre 98 y 170 g kg-1 de arcilla en superficie). Los valores de Ea, Ee y COT fueron mayores (p Sustainable land use implies the conservation of soil properties associated both to fertility and tillage. Soil alterations induced by management may affect crop production since management practices influence organic matter distribution and nutrient dynamics, and also soil aggregation and porosity. The Argentinean Northern Pampa is one of the region of the world where soils have been subjected to an intensive agricultural use during the last decades, and where direct drilling has been increasingly adopted. The aim of the present work was to evaluate soil physical quality parameters from agricultural systems under no tillage, in soils representative of the Northern Pampa Region, and to compare them with the same soil type but under pristine condition. A soil physical characterization of plots under cropping was carried out on eleven fields included in the Nutrition Network of CREA Southern Santa Fe, with trials located in Santa Fe, Córdoba and Buenos Aires Provinces. Also, a sampling in an adjacent undisturbed sector with the same soil type was carried out. Soil composite samples were collected at two depths (0-0.08 m and 0.08 m to the lower limit of the Ap horizon). Water and ethanol stable aggregate percentage (Ea and Ee, respectively), total organic carbon (COT), bulk density (DA) and maximum soil density were determined (DMAX). Mechanical resistance (RM) was measured at 0.05 m increments from the soil surface to 0.35 m depth. Soils were clustered in two groups according to their texture: Group I (surface clay content between 215 and 265 g kg-1) and Group II (surface clay content between 98 and 170 g kg-1). Higher values of Ea, Ee and COT were found in both surface and deep layers in the undisturbed soil with respect to cropped soil (p < 0.05). Soils from Group I showed higher Ea, Ee and COT with respect to those from the Group II. Total organic carbon decrease because of management was between 10 and 44%. Direct relationships were found between Ea and COT, and Ee-COT, respectively. Soils from the Group I showed higher levels of Ea than soils from Group II at similar COT contents. Bulk density and DMAX were higher in soils from cropped plots than in the reference undisturbed soils. Soils from the Group I showed, in general, lower DA and DMAX values, at both sampling depths, than those from the Group II. An inverse relationship was found between DMAX and COT. The loss of COT and the structural instability increase soil susceptibility to compaction. The RM from the cropped plots was higher to that from the undisturbed soils, and reached values greater than the limit of 2.0 MPa, at which root growth and fluids supply are affected. Soil indicators of physical fertility that were more sensitive or more informative in this study were Ea and Ee. The analysis of soil structure contributes to understand the effect of external factors on the soil, particularly the anthropogenic ones.
