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| Author(s): |
Leticia Leal Varanda
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Piracicaba. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) |
| Defense date: | 2018-02-20 |
| Examining board members: |
Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri;
Elke Jurandy Bran Nogueira Cardoso;
Maurício Roberto Cherubin;
Henrique Coutinho Junqueira Franco
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| Advisor: | Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri |
| Abstract | |
The comprenhension of sugarcane straw decomposition dynamics outside the traditional cultivation region in Brazil is relevant due to the increasing culture expansion encompassing GO, MS and PR states. Thus, a field experiment was conducted in these crop expansion regions to evaluate the decomposition of different straw amounts left on soil surface (3, 6 and 12 Mg ha-1) as a function of soil and climatic conditions. These amounts of straw were studied in order to understand the impacts of straw removal management in the decomposition process of this residue. The dry mass (DM) loss was quantified after 1, 4, 8 and 10 months, while the carbon content (C), nitrogen (N) and biochemical composition of the straw (i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) were measured in the beginning and at the end of the experiment to follow the changes throughout a crop cycle. Likewise, visual changes in the decomposing straw were evaluated through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The DM loss was adjusted by an exponential model, which was able to accurately represent the pattern of straw decomposition over time. Significant differences between sites were observed for DM and C loss, directly linked to the reduction in cellulose and hemicellulose content. The MS site lost 30% more DM in the largest amounts of straw and 35% more C when compared to GO and PR sites. After 10 months of decomposition, the C:N ratio between treatments presented a linear decay, equivalent to 65:1 and 41:1 for the lowest and highest amount of straw, being correlated with the lowest (65%) and highest (76%) DM loss, respectively. The reduction in the C:N ratio was associated with the relative increase in the straw-N concentration at the end of the study, varying from 4.5 to 9.4 g N kg-1 with a gradual increase between increasing amounts of straw. After a crop cycle the sugarcane straw change visually, possible due to loss of biochemical compounds. Thus, it was possible to conclude that a lower rate of sugarcane straw removal induces an increase in the decomposition rate (higher DM loss over time), implying higher contributions to C stock and soil quality. Generally, DM loss after a decomposition cycle is similar between Brazil\'s traditional and sugarcane-expansion cultivation regions, however, it is possible that local factors as moisture, microorganisms and soil texture favor decomposition causing differences in DM loss between sites. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 16/08214-8 - Decomposition and nutrient release from sugarcane straw in central-southern Brazil |
| Grantee: | Letícia Leal Varanda |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |