Effect of flaxseed root performance on the structural quality of a Haplumbrept under conservationist management system, in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

Our goal was to evaluate the root development of flaxseed and its relationship with soil aggregation and organic carbon storage in two sowing seasons under soil conservationist management, in Santa Catarina state, Brazil. We used three flaxseed genotypes: Aguará and Caburé from Argentina, and Gold from Brazil, sowings in April and May in a no-tillage system under Haplumbrept. In the flowering stage, the root system was evaluated by image analyze using a Safira software. Root distribution maps were used by geostatistical kriging. At the harvest stage, soil blocks were sampled for analyze the aggregates morphometry by image with Quantporo software and the soil organic carbon. Undisturbed soil were sampled to determine the physical attributes. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with three repetitions, anova was performed by Fisher and the means compared by Tukey test. No physical impediments were found for the roots performance in the Haplumbrept under conservationist management system, these favored the irregularity of the aggregates surface observed by the low values of aspect and roughness in the different tested diameter ranges. Both Caburé and Aguará genotypes showed good roots spatial distribution in the soil profile in both sowing seasons with an increase in carbon storage in the smallest diameter aggregates (here considered the aggregates of 4.76-1 mm). Caburé genotype is the best genotype adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions evaluated because had a greater roots volume, area and length below to 0.15 m depth.