Soil variability occurs due to natural and anthropogenic factors acting at various spatial and temporal scales. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability as well as the relation of some chemical attributes using different statistical techniques. The study was conducted in the municipality of Maracanaú (CE, Brazil) in the commercial area of sugar cane in a typic Hapludalf. Soils were sampled in a 100 x 100 m grid every 10 m and at a depth between 0 and 20 cm for determination of exchangeable acidity, pH (KCl), Ca, Na, K, Mg, P, N, sum of bases, cationic exchange capacity, base saturation and organic matter. Data were subjected to analysis of descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis and geostatistics. Attributes showed low and medium variability, except for pH that did not show spatial dependence. Different statistical tools helped to identify the soil spatial variability and to get a better understanding of relationships among different attributes. Techniques also allowed to better plan and control agricultural production, especially in carrying out site specific management of agricultural inputs.

A erosão em entressulcos resulta da desagregação causada pelo impacto das gotas de chuva na superfície do solo e pelo transporte superficial das partículas do solo desagregadas, onde se encontram a matéria orgânica e os nutrientes fundamentais para a produção agrícola. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as perdas de solo, matéria orgânica e nutrientes em uma vertente localizada em uma área de Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico, cultivada com cana-de-açúcar, que é colhida mecanicamente. As parcelas experimentais foram submetidas à ação de uma chuva simulada com intensidade de 60 mm h-1, durante 65 minutos. Foram feitas análises do sedimento erodido para a determinação do volume de solução, das perdas de solo, matéria orgânica e nutrientes. Houve maiores perdas de solo, matéria orgânica e nutrientes nos sedimentos oriundos das parcelas com 0% e 25% de cobertura por palha de cana-de-açúcar. Em média, essas perdas foram reduzidas nas parcelas com 75% e 100% de cobertura com palha de cana-de-açúcar. Os resultados permitiram concluir que uma cobertura com palha de cana-de-açúcar acima de 50%, da área colhida, reduz a perda de solo e de matéria orgânica, bem como diminui a concentração de nutrientes no sedimento erodido.

The erosion is the degradation of soil with effects on crop productivity and pollution of the environment. To understand the spatial variability of this phenomenon, geostatistical techniques and concepts of soil-landscape can be used to identify landscape compartments with different potential of erosion. The aim of this study was to understand the factors of erosion in landscape compartments and the relations with the magnetic susceptibility (MS) of the soils in a slope in Gilbués, state of Piauí (PI), Brazil. Sampling meshes were set in compartments I and II with 121 points and in compartment III with 99 points spaced every 10 meters. There was significant difference to erodibility (K) and risk of erosion (RE); the spatial variability of MS was lower than the factors of soil erosion. The soil losses (A), the natural erosion potential (NEP), the RE and the MS had spatial relation with the topographic factor, indicating dependence of the erosion with the relief. We concluded that losses of soil, natural erosion potential and risk of erosion have spatial relation with the topographic factor, showing the dependence of the erosion factors with the relief. The soil magnetic susceptibility can be used as an auxiliary variable in the indirect quantification of the erodibility factor and the risk of soil erosion.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of magnetic susceptibility for characterizing the spatial variability of soil attributes and identifying areas with different potentials for sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production. Samples were collected at 110 points (1 per 7 ha) in the layers of 0.00-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m, to determine the magnetic susceptibility and physical and chemical attributes of the soil. Fiber content, sucrose polarization (POL), and sugarcane yield were determined in 33 points. The spatial variability model for magnetic susceptibility was 63 and 22% more accurate in delimiting soil potential for sugarcane production than soil physical and chemical attributes at the 0.0-0.2 and 0.2-0.4-m layers, respectively. The spatial variability map for magnetic susceptibility was strongly correlated with clay (0.83 and 0.89, respectively, for the layers) and sand contents (-0.84 and -0.88); moderately correlated with organic matter (-0.25 and -0.35), sum of bases (-0.46 and 0.37), cation exchange capacity (0.22 and 0.47), pH (-0.52 and 0.13), and POL (0.43 and 0.53); and weakly correlated with sugarcane yield (0.26 and 0.23). Magnetic susceptibility can be used to characterize the spatial variability of soil attributes and to identify areas with different potentials for sugarcane production.

A Revista Brasileira de Ciências Agrárias é um periódico de divulgação científica publicado pela Editora da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco