Linking Soil Water Changes to Soil Physical Quality in Sugarcane Expansion Areas in Brazil

Autor(es)

Bonini da Luz, Felipe ^{[1, 2]} ; Carvalho, Martha Lustosa ^[1] ; Aquino de Borba, Daniel ^[1] ; Schiebelbein, Bruna Emanuele ^[1] ; Paiva de Lima, Renato ^[3] ; Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

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

^[2] Univ Fed Santa Maria, Campus Frederico Westphalen, BR-98400000 Frederico Westphalen, RS - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Rural Pernambuco, Dept Agr Engn, BR-52171900 Recife, PE - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: WATER; v. 12, n. 11 NOV 2020.
• Citações Web of Science: 1

Resumo

Brazil is the world's largest sugarcane producer with projections for expanding the current area by 30% in the coming years, mainly in areas previously occupied by pastures. We assess soil water changes induced by land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane expansion in the central-south region of Brazil. For that purpose, soil samples were collected in a typical LUC sequence (native vegetation-pasture-sugarcane) in two contrasting soil textures (i.e., sandy and clayey). Soil hydro-physical properties such as pores size distribution, bulk density, soil water content, water tension, and drainage time at field capacity, plant-available water, and S-index were analyzed. Our data showed that long-term LUC from native vegetation to extensive pasture induced severe degradation in soil physical quality and soil water dynamics. However, conventional tillage used during conversion from pasture to sugarcane did not cause additional degradation on soil structure and soil water dynamics. Over time, sugarcane cultivation slightly impaired soil water and physical conditions, but only in the 10-20 cm layer in both soils. Therefore, we highlight that sustainable management practices to enhance soil physical quality and water dynamics in sugarcane fields are needed to prevent limiting conditions to plant growth and contribute to delivering other ecosystem services. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 18/09845-7 - Implicações da expansão e intensificação do cultivo da cana-de-açúcar nos serviços ecossistêmicos do solo
• Beneficiário: Maurício Roberto Cherubin
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular