Organic matter decomposition and microarthropod community structure in corn fields under low input and intensive management in Guaira, SP.

• Autor(a) principal: RODRIGUES, G. S.
• Data de Publicação: 1997
• Outros Autores: LIGO, M. A. V., MINEIRO, J. L. de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da EMBRAPA (Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from EMBRAPA - Alice)
• Texto Completo: http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/12889
• topic: Intensive agriculture; Decomposition; Irrigated agriculture; microarthropod; Agricultura intensiva; Agricultura irrigada; Microartrópodes; Decomposição; Matéria Orgânica; organic matter

The rate of organic matter decomposition and the structure of the communities of microarthropods were compared between two corn fields receiving cantrasting agricultural management practices (low input and intensive farming). The rate of decomposition tended to be higher in the intensively managed field in the beginning of the growing season, but decreased to a level significantly lower than the observed in the low input field by the end of the growing season. This suggested that the biological community associated with the decomposition process could be negatively influenced in the intensively managed field. Analyses of the structure of microarthropod communities indicated differences between the two areas. The microarthropod populations present in the intensively managed field suffered abrupt decrease in numbers as the season progressed.