Bulk density, soil porosity and hydraulic conductivity under conservation tillage systems in sugarcane culture

Abstract

The production of sugarcane in Brazil is characterized by the use of conventional systems of soil preparation, which imply high turnover through the use of machinery, which affects its structure influencing significantly the flow of water in the soil. Soil management alternatives have arisen in order to maintain their quality and soil moisture, minimizing soil losses and surface runoff. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the combined impacts of systems of conservation soil preparation and cover crops under soil density, porosity and hydraulic conductivity in the fourth sugarcane production cycle. The study will be developed in a typical Dystrophic Red Argissolo in an experimental area established in 2014 at the Santa Fé Sugar Mill in the municipality of Ibitinga (São Paulo - Brazil). The experiment was designed with three replications, four cover plants in the horizontal bands (crotalaria, millet, peanut and sorghum) and three vertical tillage systems (minimum cultivation, minimum cultivation with deep subsoiling and no-till). The soil density shall be determined by the ratio between the dry soil mass and the volume of the undisturbed soil sample. Soil porosity will be determined by the tensile table method and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil by the constant loading method using an automated KSAT measurement system. The evaluations will be done in the layers of 0.00-0.05 m, 0.05-0.10 m, 0.10-0.20 m, and 0.20-0.30 m. With the realization of the project, it is expected to understand the impact of conservationist systems on sugarcane plantations on their structural quality of the soil and its influence on crop yield.