Chemical and microbiological properties in soil cultivated with sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of chemical parameters andmicrobiological processes related to the nitrogen (N) cycling in an area cultivated withsugarcane (SC), as compared to the native forest area (NF), considered as the reference.The pH value, the total C (Ctot), N (Ntot) contents, the P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, B and Cucontents, the labile carbon (LC) content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), microbialbiomass N (Nmic), potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) and the urease activity (UA)were determined in soil samples taken at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm. Most of thechemical properties were higher in the NF soil at both depths, except for Ctot, Ntot and thetotal K content, which did not present significant differences between the areas at thedeeper level. All microbiological processes were higher in the NF soil and showed positivecorrelations with the total Cu and B contents, demonstrating the importance of thesenutrients in the biological N cycling. The higher values obtained for almost all parametersin the NF soil attest to the need for constant monitoring of areas cultivated with sugarcanein order to avoid the adverse effects of soil degradation. The results obtained between theareas, in relation to N cycling processes also demonstrated the suitability of using them asreliable indicators of soil quality.