ABSTRACT

Soil quality is linked to the management adopted to maintenance of the production,

which causes changes in its characteristics that can be evaluated with the use of
microbiological indicators. The present study aims to evaluate soil quality as the use of
biological indicators in areas subject to different times of adoption of the Direct
Planting System in Paragominas-PA. The Plantation Direct Management System (PDS),
considered a conservationist, is seen as an evolution in the agricultural sector, being
introduced in Brazil in 1972. This system compared to the conventional one is a recent
practice, but it is already consolidated and has as main characteristics the rotation of
crops, the non-tilting of the soil and maintenance of the soil always covered by
vegetation or by the straw of the crops, which provides the increase of the organic
matter of the soil which has a strong influence on the physical and chemical aspects of
the soil. Soil microbial biomass can also be understood as a soil reservoir for nutrients
mainly carbon, and nitrogen. The microorganisms are considered to be sensitive
biological indicators of soil quality, since these beings have the ability to quickly
indicate changes in soil due to the management system. The methodology used
consisted of soil samples collected in PDS’s areas in chronology sequence of 4, 6, 10
and 12 year old, respectively, and in an area of native forest, followed by laboratory
analyzes of organic matter, organic carbon and total nitrogen, carbon and nitrogen of
microbial biomass and basal respiration and statistical analysis using the Scott-Knott
test (p> 0.05) for significance. The analyzes of the biological attributes of the soil in
different times of adoption of the system observed that the levels of organic carbon,
total nitrogen, carbon and nitrogen of the microbial biomass and basal respiration, there
was variation in its contents throughout the years of adoption of the system as well as in
depths evaluated in comparison to native vegetation.

Keywords: Biological indicators, Soil quality, Microbial biomass, Paragominas, Direct

Planting System.