Intervalo hídrico ótimo em área de cana-de-açúcar com diferentes ciclos de colheita mecanizada

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the soil physical quality, through Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR), aiming to diagnose the soil structural behavior, under sugarcane cultivation at different times of handling. The experiment was conducted on a sugarcane commercial farming on Oxisol Typic Acrudox with medium texture. The treatments were: one (CM1) and three (CM3) handling cultivation cycles (six years average for cycle) through mechanical harvest system. Soil samples were collected on the planting rows and on between rows, distance of 0.30 m from planting rows, at layers of 0.00-0.10; 0.10-0.20; 0.20-0.30 e 0.30-0.40 m. Soil physical quality was assessed by LLWR. The LLWR was higher in mechanical harvesting system with three cycles (CM3), when related to one cycle system (CM1), suggesting that this system has contributed for the improvement of assessed soil physical conditions such as bulk density, soil porosity, soil resistance to penetration and water storage. The largest LLWR at sugarcane root development on CM3 system was due to the effective use of row planting reduced tillage, allowing recovery of soil physical properties. The LLWR was higher on planting rows than between rows.