title: Spatial Dependence of Physical Attributes and Mechanical Properties of Ultisol in a Sugarcane Field.
abstract: This study investigates the effect of conventional tillage and application of the monoculture of sugar cane on soil health. Variables like density, moisture, texture, consistency limits, and preconsolidation stress were taken as indicators of soil quality. The measurements were made at a 120 × 120 m field cropped with sugar cane under conventional tillage. The objective of this work was to characterize the soil and to study the spatial dependence of the physical and mechanical attributes. Then, undisturbed soil samples were collected to measure bulk density, moisture content and preconsolidation stress and disturbed soil samples for classification of soil texture, and consistency limits. The soil texture indicated that soil can be characterized as sandy clay soil and a sandy clay loam soil, and the consistency limits indicated that the soil presents an inorganic low plasticity clay. The preconsolidation tests tillage in soil moisture content around 19% should be avoided or should be chosen a management of soil with lighter vehicles in this moisture content, to avoid risk of compaction. Using geostatistical techniques mapping was possible to identify areas of greatest conservation soil and greater disturbance of the ground.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Uilka Elisa
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mário Monteiro
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rolim
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Veronildo Souza
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elvira Maria Regis
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Pedrosa
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, BR-222, KM 04, s/n, Boa Vista, 65500-000 Chapadinha, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glécio Machado
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana Guedes
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Magalhães