An experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Soils Department of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in November of 1998, to evaluate the potential of two crop residues to modify the acidity of the soil and the activity of the flumetsulam herbicide. The experimental units consisted of pots containing an Haplumbrept soil from the surface layer (0-20cm) in with it was applyed 0, 5 and 10t ha-1 of black oat and of common vicia residues, with and without the herbicide application in the soil surface, and arranged in a complete randomized design, with three replications. White oat was used as test culture. Vicia residues increase soil pH and both residues decreased exchangeable Al in the 0-3cm layer, with the effect of vicia being greater. The decrease of the exchangeable aluminum was related to both mechanisms: organic complexation and soil pH increase. Soil surface crop residues increased the herbicide efficiency, specially when this was applied over vicia residues, wich had greater increased in the soil pH.
crop residues; acidity; herbicide
