Sugar cane harvesting systems and changes on physical properties of a Yellow Podzolic soil in Espirito Santo, Brazil

A long term (1989-1994) experiment with sugar cane (RB 739735) was carried out, in Linhares, ES, Brazil, in order to evaluate the effect of two system s of sugar cane harvesting: the first with previous burning (burned cane), and the second with crop residue remaining on the soil surface (green cane) , on some physical properties of a tableland Yellow Podzolic soil. The stat istical design was in randomized blocks, replicated six times. After six ye ars of cultivation, a process of soil degradation was observed in the burne d cane system, with decreasing of aggregate mean diameter and increasing of soil bulk density at the 0-5 cm soil depth. There were also differences in total porosity and porous distribution at the 0-5 cm soil depth as a conse quence of the harvesting system. The soil water infiltration, measured in t he field, was greatest in the area under the green cane treatments. The sam e result was not observed when measuring saturated hydraulic conductivity w ith the steady state permeameter.