Effect of the sugar cane system in water quality in a watershed

• Grant number: 10/18734-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2011
• End date: December 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Teresa Cristina Tarlé Pissarra
• Grantee: Rodrigo Garcia Brunini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The production systems cause a large impact, on the one hand positive in food production and raw materials for various purposes, on the other hand, negative, causing serious environmental damage. The main objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of sugar cane production system in the water resource in a watershed. For this, the physical and chemical parameters of water drainage network and the management of the production system of sugar cane will be analyzed . Four watersheds of 1st order were selected of protected springs with native forest surrounded by human activities (agricultural), and the predominant production system of cane sugar, and three watersheds of 1st order with springs without protection (native forests) , surrounded by human activities (agricultural), predominantly with the production system of sugar cane. The water sampling will be conducted monthly, for 12 months. Analyses will be conducted onsite and in individual laboratories for water analysis. The use / land cover will be diagnosed and analyzed by taking the photographs and survey of agricultural practices adopted. The results will be statistically analyzed in order to discuss the impact of water resource management in the drainage network with the springs protected and unprotected with natural forest. A digital database of the results will be made in a geographic information system, aiming to integrate the information with the generated maps of the areas, which are the spatial representations of the information. This will allow the overlap of issues in order to monitor the changes resulting from water parameters, offering subsidies for environmental planning and integrated management of the watershed.