Influence of silicon on the decomposition of plant residue and the behavior of soil macrofauna in different cropping systems

• Grant number: 23/17005-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Dirceu Maximino Fernandes
• Grantee: Ana Luísa Doratioto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Silicon (Si) is an essential nutrient for living organisms and considered beneficial for plants. Although the importance of Si is already extremely recognized, studies that evaluate the effect of this element on the reserve of plant residues and the behavior of soil biota are still poorly reported. Thus, the objective of the study will be to evaluate the effect of Si supplementation on the permanence of plant destruction and the influence of the soil fauna element of different cultivation systems. The experiment will be carried out at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at UNESP in Botucatu. Three areas will be selected for implementing the experiment: Native forest area, area with direct planting system and another with conventional planting. In each area, garbage bags will be deposited, containing three types of plant material with and without the presence of Si. The experimental design used will be in randomized blocks, with nine treatments and three plots. Analyzes will be carried out at 30, 90, 120 and 180 days. Thus, the composition, macro and micronutrient content, Si and C of plant remains will be evaluated, as well as the characterization of the soil biota. The data will be subjected to analysis of variance, test of means and multivariate analysis.