The effect of time of use of pasture on physical and chemical properties of a yellow Latosol in the Central Amazonia, Brazil

Abstract

With the regrowth of vegetation following forest clearing, a series of changes have been noted in both the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The objective of this study was to compare soil from different-aged pastures of Brachiaria humidicola with soil from the forest to indentify the changes in soil chemical and physical properties. The addition of ash resulting from the burn prior to establishing the pastures resulted in increased levels of most soil nutrients. With the exception of potassium, there was a reduction in levels of exchangeable base and consequently an increase in levels of aluminum as a function of time under pasture. However, the low availability of soil P and the compaction of superficial soil layers were the principal limiting factors to growth and development of B. humidicola.