Assessing the long-term effects of zero-tillage on the macroporosity of Brazilian soils using X-ray Computed Tomography.

ABSTRACT: Zero-tillage (ZT) is being increasingly adopted globally as a conservationist management system due to the environmental and agronomic benefits it provides. However, there remains little information on the tillage effect on soil pore characteristics such as shape, size and distribution, which in turn affect soil physical, chemical and biological processes. X-ray micro Computed Tomography (μCT) facilitates a non-destructive method to assess soil structural properties in three-dimensions. We used X-ray μCT at a resolution of 70 μm to assess and calculate the shape, size and connectivity of the pore network in undisturbed soil samples collected from a long-term experiment (~30 years) under zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems in Botucatu, Southeastern Brazil. In both system

SUBMITTER: Galdos MV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6358041 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature