Characterization of physical and chemical properties of Varzea soils of Goias State of Brazil

Brazil has approximately 30 million hectares of lowland areas, known locally as "Varzea,"; distributed throughout the country. Soils in these areas have the potential to support agricultural production, but very little is known about their fertility. The current experiment was undertaken to characterize the chemical and physical properties of representative "Varzea"; soils collected at 0–20, 20–40, 40–60, and 60–80 cm depth intervals from 23 sites in Goias State of Brazil. Organic matter contents averaged 42 g/kg in the surface 20 cm of soil and should make a significant contribution to overall nutrient availability. Soil pH increased slightly with depth from a mean value of 5.2 in the surface 20 cm of soil to a mean value of 5.4 in the 60–80 cm depth interval. Several soils had exchangeable Al values ≥ 1.0 cmol Al/kg, but soil Al saturation was generally less than the 60% level frequently associated with Al toxicity. However, cereal and legume production could benefit from lime addition in many of these soils. Although base saturation was fairly low in some soils, exchangeable Ca and Mg levels were, in general, adequate throughout the profile. Extractable P levels were adequate in most surface soil samples. Extractable K levels in these soils were generally low, and the application of K fertilizers should be beneficial, especially in conjunction with lime addition. The high clay content "Varzea"; soils of the Brazilian lowlands have some drainage problems but generally exhibit favorable chemical properties for crop production when compared to soils of the well‐drained Cerrados.