| Grant number: | 22/13531-3 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Start date: | April 01, 2023 |
| End date: | May 17, 2026 |
| Field of knowledge: | Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science |
| Principal Investigator: | Maurício Roberto Cherubin |
| Grantee: | Martha Lustosa Carvalho |
| Host Institution: | Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil |
| Company: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP) |
| Associated research grant: | 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I, AP.PCPE |
Abstract Healthy soils are necessary to sustain life in the Earth's Critical Zone. The current paradigm of agricultural production systems reduces soil multifunctionality as it substitutes natural biodiversity for monocropping to boost the provision of the food, fiber, and fuel production ecosystem service. This leads to losses in the input, cycling, and storage of soil organic carbon (C), the main element associated with the provision of soil-related ecosystem services, ultimately resulting in soil degradation. Increasing plant biodiversity in agroecosystems through the use of cover cropping to reverse the loss of soil multifunctionality is one of the nature-based solutions that can be used to maintain or restore soil health in agroecosystems. In this project, the goal is to assess biodiverse production systems and understand the impact of intensification and diversification on soil carbon accrual, soil health, and soil-related ecosystem services. To this end, four approaches will be used: a meta-analysis to gather data on C and nutrients input; a farmer's survey to gather data on conservation agriculture and cover crops use in Brazil; a macrocosm study to determine carbon inputs by cover crops; evaluation of a five-year biodiversification field experiment to determine soil C balance and assess soil health changes. Spatial and multivariate statistical analyses will be applied to the datasets to identify and establish the relationship between measured variables and the evaluated systems. The results will contribute to the development of soil-improvement management changes in the current production systems, contributing to the broader goal of establishing sustainable agriculture in Brazil. | |
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