Plantas de cobertura e sistemas de preparo: impactos na qualidade física de um solo de Cerrado

Cover plants and soil management: impacts on “Cerrado” soil physical quality The intensive use of the soil may lead to its rapid degradation, which is attracting in recent decades a constant search for sustainability of the agriculture. This study intended to verify the influence of tillage systems (no tillage and conventional tillage) and soil cover type (Mucuna aterrima, Pennisetum americanum, Crotalaria juncea and Cajanus cajan and spontaneous vegetation) in the physical properties of a “Cerrado” Oxisol, cultivated with maize, in the city of Selviria (MS). The research began in the agricultural year of 1997/1998. The experiment was set in a completely randomized split-plot design. The plots were constituted by the soil cover type and the subplots were constituted by