Soil management and physical attributes as a function of crops in sugarcane field renewal

The adoption of crops that precede the renewal of sugarcane fields, improves the soil physical conditions, through the addition of organic matter, the increase of biopores and greater aggregation. This work aimed to evaluate soil physical attributes after the usage of crops, in conventional tillage (CT) and in no-tillage (NT), at the time of sugarcane ​​renewal. The experimental design was a randomized block design, with five replicates. The treatments consisted in the use of Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria ochroleuca, Helianthus annuus (sunflower), Glycine max (L.) Merrill (soybean), and Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, sorghum variety saccharine BRS 506, in addition to a fallow treatment. After the crop vegetative cycle of the potential sugarcane ​​renewal, soil samples were collected, with a preserved structure, using the metallic cylinder to determine soil density (SD), microporosity (Micro), macroporosity (Macro) and soil total porosity (TP) and also were collected block soil samples to determine aggregates stability, geometric mean diameter, weighted mean diameter and (ASI, GMD, WMD, and DI). C. juncea cultivation favoured the lowest values ​​of SD where CT was performed. Treatment with sunflower, soybean and sorghum favoured the lowest values ​​of SD in NT. C. juncea and soybean increased Macro and TP on CT. In NT C. juncea, sunflower and fallow increased PT. C. juncea, soybean and sorghum cultivars favoured the highest values ​​of geometric mean diameter (GMD), weighted mean diameter (WMD) and aggregate stability index (IEA). The treatment in fallow and with C. juncea favored the lowest values ​​of the dispersion index (DI). In the renewal of sugarcane cultivations with C. ochroleuca, C. juncea, sunflower, soybean and sorghum, it is not necessary to stir the soil.