Least limiting water range and critical density of a cohesive Yellow Oxisol under different land uses in the Tabuleiro Costeiro ecosystemThe impacts of the use and management on soil physical quality have been quantified using the least limiting water range and the critical density of the soil. The critical soil bulk density obtained by the least limiting water range (LLWR) assists in making decisions on the management conditions adopted or to be adopted in certain soil. This study aimed to determine the LLWR and the critical soil bulk density of a cohesive Oxisoil from Tabuleiros Costeiros of Reconcavo da Bahia subjected to different uses and soil management. We selected three areas on typical cohesive soil, subjected to the following uses and management: native forest (Mata Atlântica), Brachiaria decumbens Stapf, in a state of degradation, and sugar cane, with subsoiling at planting. In each area, 40 samples were taken with undisturbed structure in the central portion of each horizon (A and AB). In the area cultivated with sugarcane, the sample collection was done in the rows. The LLWR in the A horizon of the forest and the sugar cane were similar and both were greater than the pasture on the horizon AB. The LLWR for cane sugar was higher than the forest and this was higher than the pasture. Horizons A and Ap presented higher critical density values than AB for all evaluated uses. The use that showed values of bulk density greater than the critical density was pasture.

Inadequate soil management alters the microbiological attributes of the soil, causing reduction in microbial biomass and activity. Microbial biomass is the living and active part of the soil and can serve as an indicator of changes in the quantity of due to changes in land use. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intercropping and soil tillage systems on the microbial biomass in castor bean-based crop in the Irecê Plateau, Bahia, Brazil. The experiment was carried out on an eutrophic Haplic Cambisol with clay texture in the Mata Verde Farm of Alto do Quindinho, municipality of São Gabriel, Irecê Plateau, Bahia, Brazil. Six intercropping systems were evaluated including solely castor bean (control) and castor bean intercropped with each of the castor bean cake, common bean, pigeon pea, corn, and gliricidia. Plowing + harrowing and subsoiling were the two soil tillage techniques associated to the intercropping systems. C and N contents in microbial biomass (Cmic and Nmic), soil basal respiration and metabolic quotient were determined in soil samples collected from the 0-10 and 10-30 cm layers. The different soil management systems influenced microbial biomass and activity, and the most suitable conditions for soil microbiota occurred in the soil tillage system with subsoiling. In the semi - arid condition, at 0-10 cm depth, the castor bean + castor bean cake crop system promoted an increase of Cmic content, and the castor + gliricidia system increased Nmic content, both under soil tillage with subsoiling.