Fertility, carbon stock and aggregate stability of an Alfisol under integrated farming systems

Abstract

Integrated farming systems are promising strategies for the recovery of pastures and degraded soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of integrated farming systems arrangements, after four years of implementation, on the fertility, carbon stock and aggregate stability of an Alfisol, in the semiarid region of the Paraíba state, Brazil. A randomized block experimental design was used, with 5 treatments and 4 replications: Brachiaria decumbens; B. decumbens + Tabebuia impetiginous; B. decumbens + Gliricidia sepium; B. decumbens + Mimosa caesalpiniifolia; and B. decumbens + maize. The soil chemical attributes, fertility, carbon stock and structural and aggregate stability were evaluated in the 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m layers. The B. decumbens + maize system presented an organic matter content 11.93 % higher than B. decumbens, and was higher than the other systems evaluated. Concerning the carbon stock in the 0.00-0.10 m layer, in B. decumbens the uptake was 2.66 Mg ha-1 higher than that of the B. decumbens + maize system and, on average, 4.69 Mg ha-1 higher than for the systems with the arboreal component. In the medium-term, B. decumbens is more efficient in adding carbon to the soil. The soil structural stability, aggregate stability index and fertility were not affected by the different arrangements after four years of implementation.

KEYWORDS: Carbon uptake, soil quality, Brazilian semiarid.