Mineralogy of a red latosol under different management systems for twenty-four years

The search for management systems that preserve or improve soil qualities, the mineralogical as well as the organic composition, with a view to higher yields, is becoming more and more intense. The objective this study was to qualitatively verify the mineralogical effects of different management types: conventional , minimum and no-tillage for 24 years on a Red Latosol in Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil, by the following techniques: X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared. No significant changes in the mineralogy of the Red Latosol were observed by the techniques applied, as a result of the different management types. It was however possible to qualitatively verify the presence of the following minerals: gibbsite, kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, hematite, rutile, anatase, goethite and quartz.