Physical Attributes of an Irrigated Oxisol after Brassicas Crops under No-Tillage System

Abstract

In no-tillage areas, cover crops are a continuous supply of organic matter and other positive improvements to the soil’s structural quality. We evaluated soil physical attributes in area cultivated with brassica crops on residues of cover crops cultivated under no-tillage. Six cover crops coverages [1-Brachiaria (B), 2-Sunn hemp (S), 3-Pearl millet (M), 4-S + B; 5-B + M; 6-S + M] and a native area (Cerrado biome), were evaluated for soil resistance to penetration (RP), soil density (SD), soil macroporosity, microporosity, volumetric moisture (VM), weighted mean diameter, geometric mean diameter, and aggregate stability index. RP and VM differed among treatments; no compacted soil layer was observed at up to 0.4 m soil depth; Low RP and SD were observed for Brachiaria and Pearl millet (Poaceae) compared to Sunn hemp (Fabaceae) in deeper soil layers; The principal components and cluster analysis indicated B + M as the most promising coverage for deep soil structuring. The soil physical quality indicators showed that millet in isolated cultivation or intercropped with another cover was the culture that presented the best results for most of the evaluated characteristics. The best indices of soil aggregation were observed where the species of the Poaceae Family were being cultivated in isolation or intercropped with each other.