Effect of sugarcane harvest systems in the physical attributes of an Oxisol

Abstract

The harvesting of sugar cane without the previous burning of the plants, in Brazil, is a system being gradually imposed by governmental legislation, although the effects of plant burning on soil physical attributes are not sufficiently clarified. This study viewed to evaluate physical attributes of an Oxisol in which cultivated sugarcane was harvested with and without previous plant burning in Pradópolis, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The treatments (types of soil use) were: - sugarcane harvesting preceded by plant burning and accomplished by the manual cutting of the culms, since 975; 2- sugarcane culms mechanically cut without previous burning of the plants, since 993; 3- native forest. Particle size, organic matter, flocculation degree, aggregate stability, bulk density, porosity, resistance to penetration and water content, in soil layers at depths of 0.0-0., 0.-0.2, 0.2-0.3, 0.3-0.4 m were determined in 2003. The harvest systems of sugar cane modified the physical attributes until a depth of 0.4 min relation to native forest. The green sugar cane harvest system allowed greater values of organic matter, aggregate stability, bulk density, microporosity and water content in the layer next to the surface (0.0 – 0. m) when in comparison with the burnt sugarcane harvest system.Additional keywords: physical attributes; organic matter; tillage; Saccharum officinarum.