Traffic of heavy machinery during forest harvesting causes soil compaction and alters the nutrient availability for plants, affects root growth, and the mass flow and diffusion processes, thus representing a problem for forest management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil compaction and potassium application on growth and K nutrition of Eucalyptus camaldulensis. The study was carried out in pots under greenhouse conditions, using a completely randomized design with treatments in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement (compaction levels and K rates) for each soil, with three replicates. Samples of two soils, a clayey Red-Latosol (LVarg) and a sandy Red Yellow-Latosol (LVAfar), were placed in 2.0 dm³ pots of PVC pipe and compacted to densities of 0.9, 1.1 and 1.3 g cm-3 for the LVarg, and 1.3, 1.5 and 1.7 g cm-3 for the LVAfar, using a hydraulic press. Potassium rates were 0, 50, 100 and 150 mg kg-1, for both soils. One hundred days after seedling emergence, the plant shoots were harvested and the dry weight, K contents in plant and soil, and root measurements (length, surface area, and mean diameter) assessed. Increasing soil compaction reduced both root and shoot growth and the K utilization efficiency, but increased the mean root diameter. Potassium application increased the plant nutrient content, but had no effect on shoot growth at low compaction levels. This study indicated that K application in compacted soils is essential for eucalypt growth; and that soil compaction reduces root growth and the efficiency of K acquisition by roots.
root growth; bulk density; potassium transport; diffusive flux