Citrus plants are the most important fruit species in the world, with emphasis to oranges, mandarins and lemons. In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, most fruit production is found on small properties under organic cultivation. Soil compaction is one of the factors limiting production and due to the fixed row placement of this crop, compaction can arise in various manners in the interrows of the orchard. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil physical properties and water infiltration capacity in response to interrow management in an orchard of mandarin (Citrus deliciosa Tenore 'Montenegrina') under organic cultivation. Interrow management was performed through harrowing, logs in em "V", mowing, and cutting/knocking down plants with a knife roller. Soil physical properties were evaluated in the wheel tracks of the tractor (WT), between the wheel tracks (BWT), and in the area under the line projection of the canopy (CLP), with undisturbed soil samples collected in the 0.00-0.15, 0.15-0.30, 0.30-0.45, and 0.45-0.60 m layers, with four replicates. The soil water infiltration test was performed using the concentric cylinder method, with a maximum time of 90 min for each test. In general, soil analysis showed a variation in the physical-hydraulic properties of the Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico arênico (sandy loam Typic Paleudalf) in the three sampling sites in all layers, regardless of the management procedure in the interrows. Machinery traffic leads to heterogeneity in the soil physical-hydraulic properties in the interrows of the orchard. Soil porosity and bulk density are affected especially in the wheel tracks of the tractor (WT), which causes a reduction in the constant rate of infiltration and in the accumulated infiltration of water in this sampling site. The use of the disk harrow and mower leads to greater harmful effects on the soil, which can interfere with mandarin production.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of different furrow-opening mechanisms on soil physical characteristics, such as mobilization, porosity, bulk density, and the dynamics of water content and temperature in the sowing groove, as well as the influence of wheeled traffic and of these variables on corn (Zea mays) productivity. The experiment was conducted at the agronomic experimental station of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul on a Argissolo Vermelho (red Ultisol). Treatments consisted of three winter cover crops and of two types of furrow-opening mechanisms for fertilization (shank and disk), with or without tractor traffic. Corn was planted as the summer crop, and soil mobilization in the sowing groove, soil temperature and moisture content during the crop cycle, and soil physical conditions, such as bulk density and porosity, were evaluated. Tractor traffic and the type of furrow-opening mechanism used did not affect significantly soil temperature and moisture content during the development of the corn crop; however, significant differences were observed in grain productivity and soil mobilization, bulk density, and porosity.