Effect of crop production systems and pastures under no-tillage on some physical attributes of soil

Abstract

The integration between grain crops and cattle-raising in some areas restrict the use of no-tillage system in clayey soils, due to soil surface compaction, which restricts root growth and limits grain yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate physical attributes of soil in a typical distrophic Red Latosol (typic Haplorthox), in crop-livestock production systems. Five production systems were evaluated: system I - wheat/soybean, white oat/soybean, and
common vetch/corn; system II - wheat/soybean, white oat/soybean, and grazed black oat + grazed common vetch/corn; system III - perennial cool season pastures (tall fescue + white clover + red clover + birdsfoot trefoil); system IV - perennial warm season pastures (bahia grass + black oat + ryegrass + white clover + red clover + birdsfoot trefoil); and system V - alfalfa as hay crop. The areas under systems III, IV, and V returned to system I after the summer of 1996. But, in the summer of 2002, in the systems III, IV and V of what was crop returned of pasture and what of was pasture returned to crops. Soil bulk density values were higher in 2000 than 2002, while the inverse was observed for the total porosity. In 2000 and 2005, the higher values of microporosity occurred in the deeper layer, however, in 2002, this was the inverse, spotlighting some compaction process, such as inadequate animal load. No differences were observed between physical attributes of the integrated and non-integrated crop and livestock systems.