Chemical Attributes of Soil and Response of Wheat to Serpentinite in Direct Seeding System

The serpentinite is an alternative for the correction of soil acidity and is composed of calcium and magnesium silicate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the residual effect of the serpentinite application on soil chemical attributes and the effects on wheat crop productivity in a no-tillage system. The experimental design was a randomized block design, in a subdivided plot scheme, with four replications. The plots were constituted by serpentinite doses (0, 2, 4, 8 and 16 Mg ha-1) and in the subplots the soil collection layers (0.0-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m). The chemical attributes of the soil evaluated at 41 months after the application of serpentinite, presented favorable results of the residual power of this corrective. The main results observed are related to the increase of pH, decrease of aluminum content and potential acidity, and increase of Ca, Mg and Si contents, cation exchange capacity (CTC) and base saturation. The residual of the serpentinite in the soil contributed with an improvement in the chemical attributes of the soil, which favored the increase of the dry mass, number of spikes and yield of the wheat crop.