PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL QUALITY OF A LATOSSOL UNDER DIRECT SEEDING AND SOYBEAN-CORN SUCCESSION IN THE CERRADO-AMAZONIAN ECOTONE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The soybean-corn succession in no-tillage system (DSS) is the most common cultivation practice in the state of Mato Grosso. Soils submitted to this type of system are prone to the formation of fertility gradients and surface compaction, restricting crop productivity. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physical-chemical attributes of an Oxisol after 11 years of continuous succession of soybean and corn in direct seeding, using geostatistical analysis techniques and main components. The experiment was conducted at the Chão Nativo farm located in the municipality of Sinop, Mato Grosso, Cerrado-Amazonian ecotone. For this, a rectangular mesh was installed with 103 sampling points distributed in an area of 7.02 ha, in which the grain yield of the soybean was determined as well as the physical and chemical attributes of the soil in the layers 0-10 and 0.10 - 0.20 m. Soybean showed a grain yield between 2.83 and 3.70 Mg ha-1, which was positively correlated with the spatial distribution of pH, phosphorus and potassium. The soil presented low physical quality due to high soil resistance to penetration and macroporosity less than 10%; however, no spatial correlation of physical attributes with soybean yield was observed.