Physical soil quality in silvopastoril system with Peltophorum dubium and Panicum maximum cv. Aruana

Abstract

With the increasing demand for agricultural, livestock and forestry production in Brazil and in the World, it has become necessary to maximize production in the same area, in a sustainable way, where the silvopastoral system becomes a form of integration of increasing performance. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physical attributes of two land use systems: pure pasture with Panicum maximum cv. Aruana and a silvipastoril system with Peltophorum dubium in the lines and Aruana grass between the lines. Four mini trenches (repetitions) were opened in each area (line, between lines and pure pasture of Aruana grass), subdivided into 4 depths (00-10, 10-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm), composing 48 soil samples, collected with volumetric ring. The samples were analyzed for density, macroporosity, microporosity and total porosity. Macroporosity and microporosity varied with depth, inversely and directly, respectively. The highest soil density occurred in pure pasture, however, without reaching values that limit root growth. Although the total porosity of the soil did not present statistically significant differences, this one undergoes interference of the applied management over the area. The effect of the use of leguminous wood species in silvopastoral system may already be noticed, although still incipient.