Soil bulk density (d s) is traditionally used as an indicator of soil structure and soil compaction. The objective of this work was to compare d s values obtained through conventional methods like paraffin sealed clod (MTP) and volumetric ring (MAV), and nuclear methods like computerized tomography (MTC), gamma-ray attenuation (MAG) and neutron-gamma surface gauge (MSN). Soil samples were collected in areas under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems. Sixteen samples were collected in the soil surface layer for the analyses by the MAV, MTP, MTC, and MAG. For the MSN, sixteen readings were carried out throughout the experimental area. The highest d s values for the conventional tillage system were obtained for the MTP, MPC, and MAG, without significant differences. Also the statistic test indicates that the lowest d s values obtained for the MSN and MAV did not differ significantly. Regarding to the no-tillage system, only the MAV and MAG had been compared, whose d s values did differ significantly.
soil physics properties; neutron-gamma surface gauge; gamma-ray attenuation; volumetric ring; paraffin sealed clods; computerized tomography
