Chemical characteristics and global density of an eutroferric red latosol cultivated with cover crops in Toledo District, Parana State

Abstract

The expansion of agricultural frontier through deforestation, adoption of mechanization and intensive use of inappropriate management practices, has promoted changes in the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil, resulting in degradation processes, thus reducing productivity. Based on this, the objective the work was to evaluate the chemical characteristics and the global density of an Eutroferric Red Latosol of the experimental area of the Parana Catholic University, Toledo Campus. The experimental design used was casualized blocks with four replicates, in which the treatments were: millet, hairy vetch and control (spontaneous vegetation). The evaluations were: dry mass production, with the highest amount for millet (7.07 Mg ha¹), global soil density in which the lowest value was under control and the highest in hairy vetch; density of weeds population in which the control treatment had the highest value on; soil chemical characteristics, in which both hairy vetch and millet presented higher results compared to the control, being different in some nutrients, such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.