Nitrogen availability in eucalyptus and pinus plantation and in native vegetation in function of the forest residue management and fertilizer application after two crop rotations

• Grant number: 20/13191-2
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forestry
• Principal researcher: José Leonardo de Moraes Gonçalves
• Grantee: Leticia Delarizza Silvestre
• Home Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The nitrogen released by mineralization is essential for the development of eucalyptus, a highly used genus in the Brazilian forestry sector. Maintaining forest residues on the soil increases N availability for the plants, which enhance wood productivity. Based on this context, the objective with this project is to understand the kinetics of N mineralization after the removal of forest residues and non-fertilization in the third crop rotation of an Eucalyptus grandis plantation and to compare the data with regional native vegetation (Brazilian Cerrado), and also with a Pinus taeda plantation. The study will be carried out in a long-term experiment located in the municipality of Itatinga, state of São Paulo. The treatments consist of different intensities of forest residues removal (permanence or removal of crown, bark and litter), omission of N, P, K, Ca and Mg. Evaluations of in situ N mineralization, forest growth, soil chemical properties and nutritional assessment of the plants will be carried out. With this information, it will be possible to infer about the relationship between the rate of N mineralization with the potential to response to fertilizer application, wood productivity and production sustainability. (AU)