Organic fertilization and mycorrhization increase copper phytoremediation by Canavalia ensiformis in a sandy soil.

Organic fertilization and mycorrhization can increase the phytoremediation of copper-contaminated soils. The time of vermicomposting alters the properties of vermicompost, which can affect copper's availability and uptake. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the effect of different organic fertilizers and mycorrhization on copper-contaminated soil phytoremediation. The soil was contaminated with 100 mg Cu kg-1 dry soil and received mineral fertilizer (MIN), bovine manure (CM), and vermicompost produced in 45 days (V45) or 120 days (V120), all in doses equivalent to 40 mg kg-1 dry soil of phosphorus. Half of the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) plants were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus clarus. At plant flowering, the dry mass and concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg, P, and K in the soil, solution, and plant tissue were determined, in addition to mycorrhizal colonization, nodulation, photosynthetic pigments, and oxidative stress enzyme activity. Organic fertilization increased plant growth and copper accumulation in aerial tissues. These effects were more evident with the V120, making it suitable for use in copper phytoextraction. Mycorrhization increased root and nodule dry mass, making it recommended for phytostabilization. C. ensiformis nodulation in Cu-contaminated soils depends on vermicompost fertilization and mycorrhization. Hence, the copper phytoremediation by C. ensiformis is increased by using organic fertilization and mycorrhization.

Soil water infiltration evaluation from punctual to hillslope scales.

Quantifying infiltration and surface runoff at the hillslope scale is indispensable for soil conservation studies. However, the spatial and temporal variability of infiltration imposes a major constraint on surface runoff estimation. Point infiltration values do not fully express the complexity of the surface runoff in the landscape. Considering the need to improve the estimation of runoff volume from infiltration data, this study aimed to measure the apparent infiltration at hillslope-scale and compare it with two methods of infiltration estimative derived from point information. The study was carried out in six hydrological monitoring units paired. A set of hyetographs and hydrographs allowed the determination of apparent infiltration [Formula: see text] to each monitoring unit as a function of precipitation rate P. The measured [Formula: see text] values were used: (1) to evaluate the efficiency of the different land management in increasing infiltration; and (2) to evaluate the efficiency of two methods of hillslope-scale infiltration estimation based on point data: (a) derived from concentric rings method ([Formula: see text]), and (b) derived from a physically-based modeling ([Formula: see text]). Regarding the differences in land managements, terraces proved to be the most efficient land management practice, followed by phytomass addition. Regarding the methods, for precipitation rates greater than 40 [Formula: see text] the point infiltration-based [Formula: see text] underestimates apparent infiltration [Formula: see text] with PBIAS ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. Even so, [Formula: see text] proved efficient in representing [Formula: see text] at less intense rainfall events. Nonetheless, the point infiltration-based method [Formula: see text] properly represented [Formula: see text] to all rainfall intensities (Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient [Formula: see text]).