Using synchrotron tomography to elucidate the role of carbon and pore structure on soil physical resilience in Brazilian tropical and subtropical regions

• Grant number: 23/10866-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo de Oliveira Bordonal
• Grantee: Diego Alexander Aguilera Esteban
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10573-4 - Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON), AP.CEPID

Abstract

Understanding the role of carbon in soil in the physical resilience of soils and how integrated agricultural production systems (IASs) contribute to this process is essential for defining productive systems that enable soil quality restoration and agricultural sustainability. The general hypothesis of this research is that agricultural systems with higher levels of intensification result in a more developed soil structure that benefits soil physical processes, physical carbon protection, and promotes greater resilience compared to fallow systems. The overall objective of this project is to assess the effects of IASs on the spatial pore structure in soil microstructures, as well as their relationship with organic carbon accumulation and physical protection, in order to understand their influence on increasing soil physical resilience. IASs will be evaluated in two experimental areas located in Eldorado do Sul (RS) and Rondonópolis (MT). Soil physical resilience will be quantified for soil porous system functionality (pore distribution, hydraulic conductivity, air permeability, and soil density) using soil samples subjected to mechanical compression and wetting and drying cycles. Physical carbon protection in soil will be assessed through incubation studies of undisturbed soil samples to elucidate changes in the soil porous system and carbon decomposition. The project proposes the integration of advanced techniques such as X-ray microcomputed tomography to advance the understanding of structural modifications in the soil porous network and mechanisms of physical carbon protection, in order to contribute to the identification and optimization of nature-based solutions that can enhance carbon sequestration in Brazilian soils and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. (AU)