Soil properties and plant biomass production in native fields management systems in the Catarinense Plateau, Brazil

The improper management of pastures can cause land degradation and reduces the economic efficiency of livestock activity. The research aims to assess physical and chemical attributes of the soil and to quantify the production of plant biomass in four management native fields systems in the Santa Catarina plateau. The experiment was conducted in Lages-SC, on a Nitosol (Alfisol). The treatments tested were natural pasture (NP), natural pasture burned (NPB), improved pasture with introduction of species after disking (IPD) and improved pasture with introduction of species after chiseling (IPC). In the treatments with improved pastures were performed the correction of soil acidity, phosphorus application and seeding of ryegrass, white clover and woolly grass. The experimental design was a randomized block design with two replications in each block at plots with 10 x 22 m. Soil samples were taken at intervals of 30, 120 and 330 days after the initial management of the area at depths of 0-2.5; 2.5-5; 5-10; and 10-20 cm for determination of bulk density, total porosity, macro and micropores, aggregate stability, clay flocculation degree, soil resistance to penetration, pH and organic carbon. Moreover, was evaluated the infiltration of water into the soil by the method of concentric rings, obtaining the basic rate of infiltration and total water infiltrated. To evaluate the production of dry plant biomass were collected samples at 180, 330 and 420 days after implantation of the treatments, being quantified the pasture production, weeds and the proportion of grasses and legumes in the pasture. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and means were compared by t test (P