Author(s): MARCHAO, R. L.; BECQUER, T.; BRUNET, D.; BALBINO, L. C.; VILELA, L.; BROSSARD, M.

Summary: Integrated crop-livestock management systems (ICLS) have been increasingly recommended in Brazil. However, knowledge on the indicators used to evaluate their impact on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations and stocks is still limited. The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of ICLS systems under two tillage and fertilization regimes on C and N stocks and concentrations at a 0-30 cm depth. The following soil management systems were studied: continuous pasture; continuous crop; crop/pasture rotation; and pasture/crop rotation. The native Cerrado was used as a control. The rotation systems were on a four year cycle. Under the rotation and continuous crop systems there were two levels of soil tillage (conventional and no-tillage) and fertility (maintenance and corrective fertility). The soil tillage and land use systems had a significant impact on the concentrations of C and N in the soil; however, no effect was observed for the fertilizer treatment. ICLS systems did not differ from continuous systems with regard to the C and N stocks; however, these elements tended to accumulate under ICLS systems associated with no-tillage. NIR spectroscopy proved to be a useful tool in quantifying the concentrations of C and N in the soil.

Publication year: 2007

Types of publication: Paper in annals and proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Cerrados

Keywords: Carbon, Cerrado, Fertilization (reproduction), Integrated crop management, Livestock, Matéria Orgânica, Soil management, Solo, Tillage