Sugarcane expansion in Brazilian tropical soils-Effects of land use change on soil chemical attributes

Author(s)

Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto ^[1] ; Custodio Franco, Andre Luiz ^[1] ; Pellegrino Cerri, Carlos Eduardo ^[1] ; da Silva Oliveira, Dener Marcio ^[1] ; Davies, Christian Andrew ^[2] ; Cerri, Carlos Clemente ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Soil Sci, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Shell Technol Ctr Houston, Houston, TX 77082 - USA

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Nucl Energy Agr, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT; v. 211, p. 173-184, DEC 15 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 23

Abstract

Land use change (LUC) in Brazil for sugarcane ethanol production has raised concerns about its potential environmental impacts. Soil quality is a key indicator to infer about the environmental sustainability of Brazilian ethanol production. Our objective was to quantify the effects of the most common LUC sequence associated with sugarcane expansion (i.e., native vegetation to pasture to sugarcane) on chemical attributes in tropical soils. Soil sampling was carried out in three study sites located in central-southern Brazil, primary sugarcane region of production and expansion of the world. Overall, long-term conversions from natural ecosystems to extensive pasturelands decreases available P, S, Ca, Mg and B contents. In addition, the LUC leads to soil acidification and decreases of CECpH7, indicating that pasturelands have poor soil chemical quality. The LUC from pasture to sugarcane increases soil nutrient levels and reduces the soil acidity due to inputs of lime and fertilizers. Despite that, increments of available P and base saturation are necessary to achieve ideal soil chemical conditions to sugarcane growth. Overall, our findings suggest that sugarcane expansion in Brazil replacing pasturelands will promotes improvements on soil chemical quality. Nevertheless, sugarcane expansion can be associated with management strategies to increase soil organic matter and improve the soil fertility, reducing the environmental and economic costs associated with ethanol production in Brazil. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/22510-8 - Soil engineering by macroinvertebrates: controls on soil organic matter storage across land use change
• Grantee: Andre Luiz Custodio Franco
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 14/16612-8 - Soil quality indicator response to land use change
• Grantee: Maurício Roberto Cherubin
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/17581-6 - SOIL QUALITY IN AREAS OF LAND USE CHANGE FOR SUGARCANE CULTIVATION IN SOUTH-CENTER OF BRAZIL - data for the evaluation of environmental sustainability of ethanol
• Grantee: Maurício Roberto Cherubin
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate