Enzymatic Activity in Different Crop Succession Systems in the Cerrado Region

Abstract

The enzymatic activity of soil arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase enzymes are biological parameters used to measure the biological activity of soils, an important tool for identifying disturbances in agricultural systems, as they are more sensitive to differentiate changes in soil management when compared to physical and chemical attributes. Thus, the aim was to evaluate arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase levels in different succession systems. Soil samples were collected in agricultural areas with 5 years of experimentation, with four treatments: (1) soybean/corn + brachiaria (Urochloa ruzizienses), (2) soybean/corn, (3) soybean/brachiaria (Urochloa ruzizienses) and (4) soybean/millet. Routine chemical analyses were performed, and the determination of β-glucosidase and arylsulfatase was carried out according to the p-nitrophenyl colorimetric method. As a result, both enzymes presented higher average values in treatment 3. In the biological IQS, treatment 3 differed from treatments 1 and 2. Under the study circumstances, the use of soil with soybean, corn, millet and brachiaria crops provided adequate sustainability conditions, providing high arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase levels.