Abstract
The objective of work was to quantify soil and water loss rates as a function of slope variation, correlating these rates with soybean yield. In addition to developing multiple linear regression models that associate water and soil loss rates in function of their physical attributes. The experiment was conducted in an Oxisols under a no-tillage system. The experiment was carried out in Cascavel, PR, Brazil. Four slopes (3.5%; 8.2%; 11.4% and 13.5%) were considered as treatments. The water and soil loss rates were monitored in the rainfall occurring during the crop development cycle. The water drained in each plot was collected in gutters made of polyvinyl chloride and stored in containers for the quantification of soil and water losses. The stepwise backward method was used to identify the variables that had a significant influence on water and soil losses. The unevenness of the terrain did not influence the soil and water loss rates. The maximum soil and water losses during the soybean cycle were, respectively, 0.01962 Mg ha-1 and 4.07 m3 ha-1. The maximum soil and water losses occurred when the precipitation volume was up to 82 mm. Soil and water losses showed a higher correlation with macroporosity and bulk density. Soybean grain yield showed a higher linear correlation with water, and soil loss and was higher at the slopes of 8.2% and 13.4%. The low water and soil losses demonstrate the soil capacity, managed under a no-tillage system, to minimize environmental impacts.
Highlights
The basic principle of SPD is the constant coverage in the soil with plant residues from other crops
No-tillage system is an alternative to reduce these losses, because the straw that remains on the soil surface acts as a physical protection against water and soil losses, besides improving the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the soil (Moline et al, 2011)
Considering the above, this research aimed to quantify soil and water loss rates in an Oxisols under a no-tillage system, relating these rates to soybean grain yield, and to develop models that associate soil and water loss rates as a function of the physical-hydraulic attributes that best correlate with these losses
Summary
The basic principle of SPD is the constant coverage in the soil with plant residues from other crops. In addition to the diversification of crops of multiple species, about crop rotation, succession, intercropping and conservative soil management systems (Tiecher et al, 2014). The same authors still report that only a fraction of the cultivated areas in Brazil follow all the fundamental principles of this conservationist system. As most farmers do not use adequate soil management or conservation techniques, erosion losses are still high in Brazil. Millions of tons of agricultural soil are lost each year due to erosion (Oliveira et al, 2010). No-tillage system is an alternative to reduce these losses, because the straw that remains on the soil surface acts as a physical protection against water and soil losses, besides improving the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the soil (Moline et al, 2011)
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