ATRIBUTOS FÍSICOS DO SOLO NA CULTURA DE SORGO CONSORCIADO SOB SISTEMA DE PLANTIO DIRETO

Abstract

A favorable physical environment in the soil is essential and of fundamental importance for the root growth and development of sorghum, in order to maximize crop productivity. In this study, we evaluated the physical aspects of the soil under a no-tillage system in a grain sorghum area intercropped with Urochloa ruziziensis and Crotalaria spectabilis during the second season, based on a long-term field experiment. The experimental design was a randomized block, with four cropping systems (sorghum; sorghum + Urochloa ruziziensis; sorghum + Crotalaria spectabilis; sorghum + Urochloa ruziziensis + Crotalaria spectabilis) and two crop years (2023 and 2024), with crop year considered as a random effect, totaling 16 experimental units and 4 replications. The soil physical attributes analyzed included soil bulk density (BD), gravimetric moisture (GM), total porosity (TP), microporosity (MIC), macroporosity (MAC), and root penetration resistance (PR), as well as CO2 flux and soil temperature. The cropping systems influenced the physical and biological attributes of the soil, with the sorghum + Crotalaria intercrop standing out for improving soil quality and conservation, highlighting the potential of crop integration as a sustainable management practice.