Effect of water content and soil compaction in soybean production

Abstract

Soil compaction has been limiting physical factor to plants growth. This work aimed to evaluate the production of soybean (Glycine max cv. EMBRAPA 48) as affected by water content and soil compaction. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a factorial scheme 4x2, i.e., four levels of resistance to penetration (between 0.27 and 4.32 MPa) and two levels of soil water retention (0.05 and 0.01 MPa). Samples of Red Latossol medium texture and Red Latossol clayey were collected in 0-20 cm depth, sieved in mesh of 0.4 cm and compacted in layers of 3 cm in pots of 20 cm height and 25 cm of diameter (9.82 L). The levels of resistance to penetration were determined with dynamometric ring penetrometer. The critical level of soil resistance to penetration, in relation to grains production, was 1.66 and 2.22 MPa, in Red Latossol medium texture, and 3.05 and 2.81 MPa, in Red Latossol clayey, for the water content in tension of 0.05 and 0.01 MPa, respectively. The higher grains production was obtained in tension of 0.01 MPa. Soybean production is affected by levels of soil resistance to penetration superior to 2 MPa in latossols under tension of 0.01 MPa.