Mineralization of organic residues deposited on the soil surface in a no-till system (NT) maintains a continuous flow of different forms of carbon (C), which might interfere with densimetric fractions of soil organic matter (SOM). Currently, there are few studies on variations in these fractions in NT areas with different deployment times in the Cerrado region. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the total C, nitrogen (N), and 13 C in the soil, as well as to quantify the mass and contents of C, N, and 13 C in the light and heavy fractions of SOM extracted using different solutions (water, sodium iodide [NaI], and sodium polytungstate [SPT]) in areas of Cerrado, pastures, and NT with different deployment times with Distroferric Red Latosol soil. The study areas are located in Montividiu, Goiás (GO), Brazil: (1) pasture of Brachiaria decumbens (PA); (2) NT with three years of deployment with soybean in summer and fallow instead of a second crop (NT3); (3) NT with 15 years of deployment with soybean in the summer and maize/sorghum as the second crop (NT15); and (4) NT with 20 years of deployment with soybean in the summer and maize as the second crop (NT20). These areas were compared to an area of native Cerrado sensu stricto (CE). The NT according to the deployment time showed an increase in the contents of C (0-0.05 m) and N (0-0.2 m) in the soil. The origin of C in the soil of the NT areas is associated with C4 plants; however, in up to 0.2 m of the soil profile, the 13 C contents reduced according to NT deployment years. Extraction of light-fraction organic matter (LFOM) with SPT better represents this SOM fraction quantitatively and qualitatively than extraction of LFOM with water and NaI. This pattern is evident because of a greater consistency in the mass, C, N, and 13 C contents of the LFOM extracted with SPT among the evaluated areas and the lower C content in residual particulate organic matter among the extractants. Key words: Water. Sodium iodide. Red Latosol. Light-fraction organic matter. Sodium polytungstate. Soil management systems.
ResumoA mineralização dos resíduos orgânicos depositados na superfície do solo no sistema de plantio direto (SPD) mantém um fluxo contínuo de diferentes formas de carbono, podendo interferir nas frações densimétricas da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). Atualmente, são escassos resultados de pesquisa que avaliem às variações destas frações em áreas de SPD com diferentes anos de implantação na região do cerrado. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o C, N e 13 C total do solo, bem como, quantificar a massa, C, N e 13 C das frações leves e pesadas da MOS extraídas com diferentes soluções (água, iodeto de sódio -NaI e politungstato de sódio -PTS) em áreas de Cerrado, pastagem e SPD com diferentes anos de implantação sob um Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico. As áreas de estudo encontram-se localizadas em Montividiu (GO), e apresentam as seguintes características: 1) pastagem de Brachiaria decumbens (PA); 2) SPD com 3 anos de implantação com c...