Impacts of land-use and management systems on organic carbon and water-physical properties of a Latossolo Amarelo (Oxisol)

Abstract

The Cerrado biome has outstanding territorial relevance in the state of Piauí, in which weather conditions, relief and favorable soil has made this region one reference in food production. This study focused to evaluate the effects of different land uses, management systems and their respective terms on organic carbon content and physical properties of a Latossolo Amarelo (Oxisol) in the Southwestern Piauí state. The study was performed in the city of Uruçuí, situated in the southwestern Piauí state. We assessed nine farming areas with different backgrounds regarding land-use, management system and run time. The treatments consisted of areas under no-till for 3 and 6 years (NT3 and NT6), under pasture for 2 and 5 years (PA2 and PA6), under eucalyptus plantation for six and twelve years (EU6 and EU12), under conventional tillage for two and 8 years (CT2 and CT8) and under native Cerrado (NC), which represented a reference condition. Conversion of the native Cerrado into no-till and grazing areas increased soil organic carbon content over time.