Assessment of Soil loss Tolerance limit to Latosol, Argisol and Cambisolin the southern Minas Gerais state

Abstract

Soil Loss Tolerance (T) reflects the maximum erosion rate that still allows a sustainable level of crop production. The T limit can be used to support the conservationist land-use planning and to propose erosion mitigation measures. In this context, we aim to determine the Soil Loss Tolerance limit to different soil classes located at the Coroado Stream Subbasin, southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The soil classes of the subbasin area was classified as Dystrophic Red Latosols - LVd (90.0%), Eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisols - PVAe (5.4%), and Dystrophic Tb Haplic Cambisols - CXbd (1.9%). The following attributes were used to determine the T limits: texture, depth, density, permeability, and organic matter. To analyzing these parameters, we collect soil samples at 18 points distributed along the subbasin area. T values ranged from 4.75 to 7.40 Mg ha-1 year-1, with the lowest limit observed for CXbd (4.75 Mg ha-1 year-1). These results indicate that the Cambisol should be prioritized in the adoption of conservation practices to reduce water erosion and to maintain soil loss levels at acceptable rates. Latosols, Argisols, and Cambisols are the most common soils in the Brazilian territory. Thus, the results provided by the work can be used as a reference to monitoring the erosion process and evaluate the sustainability of agricultural activities in Brazil.