Fertility attributes of soils under native vegetation in the cerrado bioma

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the fertility attributes of soils in areas of native vegetation in the State of MS to generate reference information for decision-making in the use of the soil resource. Samples of deformed soils were collected at thirteen points, in remnants of native vegetation, at depths of 0.0 to 0.20 m and 0.20 to 0.40 m. The chemical analyses determined were: pH in CaCl2, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+, H+Al, MO and calculated fertility indices (SB, CTC at pH 7.0 and V%) as well as the particle size (sand, silt, and clay). The data obtained were evaluated by descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. Parental material and pedogenetic processes are closely related to soil fertility under remnants of native vegetation. MD, NV, RR, and PVA soils have high natural fertility, evidenced by CTC, SB, and V%. The low natural fertility of SX, LV, and GX soils is associated with high levels of Al3+ and H+Al+ and low values of pH and V%. Because they have higher clay contents, the LV and NV soils can contribute to greater water retention capacity and nutrients favorable to plant development. The GX and SX soils have undesirable chemical characteristics to meet the demand of plants, so they should be left as areas of fauna and flora, and water sources. The RR and MD soils have limitations for agricultural use, such as a small depth that prevents good retention and infiltration of water, difficulty in mechanization, and risk of erosion. The knowledge of soil fertility attributes is essential for proper management, both for the maintenance of native vegetation and for greater use of the soil in a given service, resulting in savings for man and nature itself, avoiding erroneous decision-making in the use of natural resources.