The work aimed at evaluating the effect of different compaction levels and water management upon yield components and rice grain yield. The experiment was conducted over the period of September 2002 to January 2003 in a greenhouse at the UFLA university, in Lavras- MG, where as tested six compaction levels: 0%, 16%, 32%, 48%, 64% and 80% of the range of variation of soil density (0.25kg.dm-3), combined with three soil water contents: saturated soil (M1), irrigated when were consumed from 25 to 30% (M2) and from 50 to 60% (M3) of available water, respectively. The results stressed that soil compaction tends to reduce the number os panicles per pot, sterility of spikelets and grain yield. At moderate compaction levels, there was an increase of the number of filled grain per panicle, taking into account the three water management. Moisture favored production components: the number of panicles per pot, the number of filled grain per panicle and spikelet sterility, contributing toward increased yield. Thus, it follows that soil moisture was more determinant than compaction as a limiting factor to grain yield and, that, for Fluvic Neosol, compaction per si is not a factor limiting to a possible adoption of the no-tillage system with lowland rice.
Oryza sativa; soil density; moisture; compaction
