Matéria orgânica do solo e fósforo orgânico em cronossequência de cana-de-açúcar cultivada no Cerrado

Abstract

The accelerated growth of agriculture produces a demand for opening and exploration of new areas. Through government incentives, the migration of sugar cane production reached the Cerrado biome, and this occupation provides a gradual vegetation coverage change. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sugar cane burning prior to harvesting in the soil organic matter and organic phosphorus in the Goias State Cerrado region. This study was conducted in a chronosequence of 1, 5, 10 and 20 years with straw burning, and application of vinasse in the 20 years area, compared to native vegetation (Cerrado) and pasture areas. The study areas were located in Decal industrial plant in Rio Verde municipality, Goiás State (Brazil). The soil was classified as an Oxisol with sandy loam texture. Soil samples were taken in pits up to 0.6 m depth. Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM) physical and chemical fractionation, and isotopes 13C and 15N were analyzed. Phosphorus chemical fractionation, extracted with NaHCO3, H2SO4 and NaOH, spectroscopic carbon (13C NMR, UV-vis and FTIR) and phosporus (31P NMR) characterization were evaluated. The area with lowest usage time of straw burning had highest Ca and Mg and lowest P and K values. The smallest TOC stocks were observed at the 0-10 cm layer in the sugar cane systems with 1 and 5 years. In general, the highest values of 13C and 15N were observed in the pasture and the lowest values in the Cerrado, with intermediate values in the sugar cane systems. Land use change from Cerrado original vegetation to sugar cane systems resulted in 13C changes, promoting an accumulation of C4 derived carbon plants. Spectroscopic analysis of carbon (13C RMN, UV-vis and infrared) from humic acids carbon showed the same functional groups independent of cane burning harvesting time. At the 0-5 cm depth layer, the aliphatic and carboxylic compounds had the largest contribution compared to the aromatic compounds. The 31P NMR spectroscopy results showed that in the studied areas, the humic acids constitute a readily available source of organic P important for plant uptake, especially in the area that received vinasse. In the areas with 1 and 5 years of harvesting burning sugar cane, the decrease in the accumulation of recalcitrant organic P in the humic acids indicates the usage of the labile-P in the humic substances.