NICKEL IRON MINING SLAG AND SOIL ACIDITY CORRECTION

Abstract

SOIL ACIDITY IS ONE OF THE LIMITING FACTORS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION MOST COMMONLY REPORTED IN OXIDIC SOILS, SUCH AS OXISOLS, WHICH ARE OFTEN FOUND IN THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO REGIONS. DREDGING IS THE MOST EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE FOR CORRECTING SOIL ACIDITY AND INCREASING BASE SATURATION LEVELS. THE NICKEL IRON MINING SCORA IS A RESIDUE THAT HAS RELEVANT AMOUNTS OF MAGNESIUM SILICATE AND MAY HAVE NEUTRALIZATION CAPACITY OF SOIL ACIDITY. THEREFORE, THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK WAS TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF MAGNESIUM SILICATE AS A SOIL ACIDITY CORRECTIVE. THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN USED WAS COMPLETELY RANDOMIZED, ARRANGED IN A 2X5X5 FACTORIAL SCHEME WITH TWELVE REPLICATIONS, WHERE THE 1ST FACTOR CONSISTED OF TWO HATCHING DATES, 30 AND 60 DAYS, THE 2ND FACTOR CONSISTED OF FIVE DOSES OF MINING SLAG: 0, 90, 120, 150 AND 180 MG HA-1, AND THE 3RD FACTOR CONSISTED OF FIVE DOSES OF DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE: 0, 90, 120, 150 AND 180 MG HA-1. THE MINING SLAG DID NOT PRESENT SOIL PH NEUTRALIZATION POWER UNDER THE EVALUATED CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, IT PRESENTED POTENTIAL FOR NEUTRALIZATION UNDER CONDITIONS OF LOWER GRANULOMETRY AND GREATER SOLUBILIZATION.