Diversification of species improves the soil, says research

The diversification of species combined with conservation techniques improves, in the first cycle, the structure and infiltration of water in the soil, according to research conducted in Londrina, in the northern region of Paraná. The conclusion is based on the subproject “Management, Structure and Hydraulic Conductivity of the Soil”, which is part of a larger study, called “Hydrosedimentological Monitoring in a Hydrographic Microbasin and Slope in Northern Paraná”. This, in turn, is part of the Paraná AgroResearch and Applied Training Network (AgroParaná Network), applied in five other mesoregions of the State, which has the support of the FAEP/SENAR-PR System.

These studies aim to gather data that can help define appropriate technical criteria and good practices for soil and water management in agricultural areas. The professor of the Agronomy course at the State University of Londrina (UEL), Maria de Fátima Guimarães, highlights that the soil structure is visible, which makes it easy to demonstrate for technicians and farmers. “It's different from saying that the soil is made up of X% potassium, nitrogen, something that is not tangible. The analysis from a structural point of view can be seen and understood by everyone, providing a channel for dialogue between different training agents” reflects the teacher.

The professor remembers that the studies carried out by the Agricultural Research Network have a portion maintained exactly the way rural producers already work. A second installment is also made as the farmer does in his routine, but with the inclusion of terraces. “In the subproject, a third plot was added, where we implemented the corn crop in consortium with brachiaria, comparing it with the plot without brachiaria”, she comments.

The result is that, with the terrace, there were significant gains, with an improvement in soil and sediment loss rates. “And when we add brachiaria, because it has an aggressive and deep rooting system, it further improves the soil structure, that is, it provides greater stability to the structure. And if we have problems with heavy rain, this means fewer problems with erosion”, points out the researcher.

UEL doctoral student in Agronomy Smaylla El Kadri Ceccatto summarizes the objective of the study. “This project evaluates, through visual analysis, the changes induced by agricultural use in the soil structure, taking into account the degree of compaction, the shape and size of clods, as well as the presence of cracks [fissures between structural units ]. It correlates the management carried out in the megaplots and their surroundings with its effects on the soil structure and the behavior of hydraulic conductivity”, she explains.

The researcher reports that three main methodologies were used capable of evaluating direct planting, soil quality and the rate of water infiltration into the soil. “The conclusion is very practical, as we carried out research on commercial crops, which shows that it is something completely possible to be incorporated into the day-to-day life of rural properties. More diversified systems, with the introduction of brachiaria in consortium with off-season corn, provided a greater contribution of biomass from the aerial part and roots of the plants to the system, which contributed to reducing the direct impact of raindrops on the surface and increasing the amount of pores that favor the infiltration and storage of water in the soil”, he details.