Availability of copper, iron, manganese and zinc in soils under pastures in the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

The objective of this work was to describe the total and available Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn contents, and their relation with the oxisols acidity, fertility, texture and mineralogy under Cerrado pastures. The soil samples were taken from three regions: along the highways GO-060 and BR-154, between the towns of Goiânia, GO, and Barra do Garças, MT; in the northeast of the State of Minas Gerais, in the towns of Unaí and Paracatu, MG; and in the Federal District. Fifty-four soil samples were collected from the 0–20 cm layer. Available quantities of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn (DTPA extracted) were related to: total contents, chemical variables, soils texture and mineralogy, through the analysis of the principal components. The available and total Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn content varied greatly. The availability of Fe, Cu and Mn related mainly to the crystalline iron and pH in water. The availability of Zn was mainly related to the soil exchange capacity. Zn was considered the most frequent limiting micronutrient for Cerrado pasture development.