The assessment of soil quality is crucial for the sustainable development of agriculture in semiarid regions. Due to their sensitivity to management practices, soil chemical and physical quality indicators are used for investigating soil quality. This study aimed to assess the soil quality of smallholder agroecosystems from the Brazilian semiarid region. Soil physical and chemical attributes were screened using principal component analysis (PCA) and integrated into a weighted additive soil quality index (SQI). Soil quality was obtained using linear and non-linear scoring methods, a total data set (TDS), and a minimum data set (MDS). The soil quality of the agroecosystems was designated as being of moderate grade. The MDS for soil quality assessment includes cation exchange capacity, C stock, exchangeable sodium percentage, flocculation degree, pH, electrical conductivity, available P, and K⁺ from twenty-five indicators of the TDS. This MDS mainly reflects the input of manure and crop residues associated with moderate weathering of easily weatherable minerals given the semiarid conditions. The SQI obtained can be used to synthesize the information of the TDS and is a valuable tool to indicate the soil quality of agroecosystems; thereby, it can be used with indicators of sustainable management for application at a regional scale.

O abacaxizeiro (Ananas comosus var. comosus) é uma planta tropical monocotiledônea, herbácea e perene, da família Bromaliaccea, que na realidade sobressaiu na fruticultura tropical. Objetivou-se com esse trabalho, analisar o efeito da adubação orgânica e mineral no crescimento e qualidade físico-química dos frutos de abacaxizeiro cv. Pérola. O experimento foi realizado na Casa de Vegetação da UEPB, Campus II e no Laboratório de Química e Fertilidade do Solo localizado no Campus II, em Lagoa Seca–PB. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial (5x2), sendo cinco doses de esterco de galinha (0,0; 4.0; 8.0; 12.0 e 16.0 kg/volume de 20 L), com e sem adubação com NPK (padrão) na dose de 25 g planta^-1 do formulado (20-10-20) com quatro repetições, totalizando 48 unidades experimentais. Cada unidade experimental foi constituída por um vaso de polietileno com capacidade de 10 L, contendo material de um Neossolo Regolítico, utilizando-se mudas de abacaxizeiro cv. Pérola. A aplicação de esterco de galinha influenciou significativamente as variáveis de qualidade de frutos do abacaxizeiro.

Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), an important legume in semiarid environments, often exhibits low yield, requiring strategies to enhance symbiotic nitrogen fixation and nutrient use efficiency. This study evaluated the effects of single and combined inoculation with Bradyrhizobium elkanii (strain BR 2003) and Azospirillum brasilense (strain Ab-V5) on nitrogen metabolism, nutrient uptake, plant growth, and residual soil fertility in P. lunatus. Four varieties were subjected to four treatments: control (nitrogen fertilization), single inoculation with B. elkanii or A. brasilense, and co-inoculation. All inoculation strategies significantly increased root nodulation, nitrogen assimilation, and the accumulation of P, K, Ca, and Mg in plant tissues, demonstrating a robust symbiotic performance superior to mineral fertilization. The ‘Raio de Sol’ and ‘Manteiga’ varieties exhibited the most pronounced increases in growth and biomass. Additionally, inoculation improved post-cultivation soil indicators, including pH and available P and K in specific genotype-microbe combinations, and reduced electrical conductivity. These results support the use of microbial inoculation, either single or co-inoculation, as a promising alternative to conventional nitrogen fertilization, enhancing symbiotic nitrogen fixation and nutrient-use efficiency in lima bean cultivation.

Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.), an important legume in semiarid environments, often exhibits low yield, requiring strategies to enhance symbiotic nitrogen fixation and nutrient-use efficiency. This study evaluated the effects of single and combined inoculation with Bradyrhizobium elkanii (strain BR 2003) and Azospirillum brasilense (strain Ab-V5) on nitrogen metabolism, nutrient uptake, plant growth, and residual soil fertility in P. lunatus. Four varieties were subjected to four treatments: control (nitrogen fertilization), single inoculation with B. elkanii or A. brasilense, and co-inoculation. All inoculation strategies significantly increased root nodulation, nitrogen assimilation, and the accumulation of key macronutrients. Root nodulation increased from 1 to 12 nodules per plant in the control treatments to up to 277 nodules per plant under inoculation, while shoot nitrogen content increased by up to 91% in ‘Raio de Sol’ and 87% in ‘Cearense’. Increases in P and K were also observed, including a 48% increase in shoot P in ‘Manteiga’ and up to a 100% increase in shoot K in ‘Raio de Sol’, whereas root K increased by up to 90% under co-inoculation. The ‘Raio de Sol’ and ‘Manteiga’ varieties exhibited the most pronounced increases in growth and biomass. Additionally, inoculation improved post-cultivation soil indicators, including pH and available P and K in specific genotype-microbe combinations, and reduced electrical conductivity. These results demonstrate the strong contribution of microbial inoculation to nitrogen assimilation and nutrient acquisition, supporting its use as a promising alternative to conventional nitrogen fertilization in lima bean cultivation.

Objetivou-se com esse trabalho, analisar o efeito da adubação orgânica e mineral no crescimento dos frutos de abacaxizeiro cv. Pérola.O experimento foi realizado na Casa de Vegetação da UEPB, Campus II e no Laboratório de Química e Fertilidade do Solo localizado no Campus II, em Lagoa Seca–PB. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial (5x2), sendo cinco doses de esterco de galinha (0,0; 4.0; 8.0; 12.0 e 16.0 kg/volume de 20 L), com e sem adubação com NPK (padrão) na dose de 25 g planta-1 do formulado (20-10-20) com quatro repetições, totalizando 48 unidades experimentais. Cada unidade experimental foi constituída por um vaso de polietileno com capacidade de 10 L, contendo material de um Neossolo Regolítico, utilizando-se mudas de abacaxizeiro cv. Pérola. A aplicação de esterco de galinha influenciou significativamente as variáveis de crescimento do abacaxizeiro.