Impact of pig slurry application on soil and water losses: Comparison with a historical series

Abstract

ABSTRACT Water erosion in soil is influenced by several factors, including rain, relief, cover, and management and conservation practices. Also, erosion is affected by pig slurry (PS) applied to the soil as a fertilizer. The objectives of this research were i): to evaluate water erosion in a Humic Cambisol cultivated with Zea mays L., Avena strigosa, Glycyne max L., and Raphanus sativus in rotation after PS dispersal under different tillage treatments, namely: no-tillage (NT), minimum tillage (MT), rotation tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) , and ii): to compare erosion before and after PS application in a single dose of 50 m3 ha-1 in each crop, soon after the germination of the crops. NT had lower soil and water loss, which were reduced by 81 and 13%, respectively, in relation to CT. Differences in soil and water losses were lower between MT and RT, than between other treatments. The contents of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the superficial layers of the soil were higher under NT than under CT. The contents of P and K in the sediments were higher in the NT than in the CT treatment. Also, the contents of P and K were significantly higher in sediments than in water, especially under NT. The application of a single PS dose on the soil surface increased soil P and K contents and decreased water erosion compared to the 19-year historical series that preceded this research in different soil management systems without PS application.