Effect of the direct planting system on the mechanical resistance of the soil to penetration

Abstract

The need for improvement in rural areas is increasingly necessary, aiming at greater productivity in a short period. Thus, the No-Tillage System (SPD) presented itself as a response to the problem of increasing productivity without increasing the area or production time, reducing the direct impact of external actions on the soil. The study was carried out in a red Dystrophic Argisolic Latosol, where the objective was to analyze the response of the Soil Mechanical Resistance to Penetration (RMSP) in the implementation of the SPD in an area cultivated with corn. The studied layers were 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40 cm, with the RMSP data collected through a penetrograph. The previous phytomass was handled with a straw chopper and on top of that cover, irrigated corn cultivation was implemented. The research was carried out in the Oeste Potiguar region, an area of semi-arid climate. In the development of the work, the RMSP was analyzed in georeferenced points, in which samples were collected to quantify the humidity, identifying whether the water content interfered in the studied physical property. The Sisvar program was used to perform the statistical analysis, using the variance by the F test. The variables (RMSP and humidity) were analyzed by the Tukey test at 5% probability. After two cycles of maize culture, there was a reduction in the RMSP in all layers and, even though there was a significant difference in the water content in the soil in relation to the two cycles, it was possible to verify that it did not interfere in the RMSP.