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It Is Soils Not Samba For Ball In Brazil
SAC Soil Scientist Bruce Ball has just returned from Brazil where he was assessing the progress of a soil compaction experiment.
Parana State is one of the most productive areas of the country capable of growing two crops of soybean, black oat, wheat and maize a year, using a no tillage system. However there are fears that long term use of no till is creating compaction problems.
In collaboration with the Universities of São Paulo and Maringa, Bruce set up a field experiment earlier this year to assess two strategies for alleviating compaction in topsoil and upper subsoil. In one area they are using a mechanical shallow subsoiler while in another they are using a “biological” loosener by growing Raphanus (a fast-growing tap-rooted member of the radish family) for 6 months.
Bruce’s job was to use the Visual Soil Structure Quality Assessment technique to assess any improvement in soil structure from these treatments. The technique is a topsoil assessment, but they managed to persuade some willing assistants to take samples big enough to include the upper subsoil by taking out blocks up to 40 cm depth. They found subsoiling gave a significant improvement in soil quality – mainly improving macroporosity and rooting – but the Raphanus did not produce enough thick roots to improve the soil structure. The experiment continues.
The field work was only possible on fine days and, as Brazil was changing to summer time, there was plenty of rain and thunderstorms, usually at 2.00 am in the morning! Bruce is adamant that instead of practising the samba he used the wet weather to write up a paper on the work that had been done on greenhouse gas emissions and soil structure when the Brazilians visited SAC Edinburgh earlier this year. The one perk was a railway trip through the Atlantic rain forest on the way home.