Effect of controlled traffic on maintaining physical soil quality in sugarcane fields under different crop management systems

ABSTRACT

Soil structure has a significant impact on sugarcane production. This research evaluated the effects of controlled traffic on soil physical quality (SPQ). The following four management systems (MS) were evaluated: rainfed sugarcane cultivation and the application of vinasse (RV); irrigated sugarcane cultivation (I); irrigated sugarcane cultivation and application of vinasse (IV), and native vegetation (no sugarcane or irrigation; NV) as a reference. Soil samples were collected within sugarcane rows (WR) and between rows (BR) (used exclusively for agricultural machinery traffic) from mini-trenches for visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) based on a scale from 1 to 5. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected for measuring indicators of SPQ.All SPQ variables differed (p < 0.05) between WR and BR, demonstrating the efficiency of controlled machinery traffic for SPQ. None of the managements systems reached the critical limit of 2.0 MPa for soil resistance penetration. The average of saturated hydraulic conductivity for WR were 220.2 mm h⁻¹, 126.8 mm h⁻¹, and 49.4 mm h⁻¹ to IV, I e RV, respectively. SPQ followed the order: NV > IV > I > RV. The VESS was efficient for estimating SPQ and the scores were below 3.0 in all crop management systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Visual evaluation of soil structure
• soil hydraulic conductivity
• soil penetration resistance, ultisol

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Agrisus Foundation (Fundação Agrisus) (grant number: 3107/21), National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Foundation for Science and Technology Development of the State of Pernambuco (FACEPE) and the Miriri Alimentos e Bioenergia S/A. The second author is grateful by the research productivity scholarship from CNPq (grant number: 305136/2021-6). The authors are grateful to Dr. Pedro Henrique Neves de Souza (Agronomist Engineer from the Miriri Alimentos e Bioenergia S/A) and Prof. Emidio Cantídio de Oliveira for providing helpful suggestion about the management systems.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [305136/2021-6]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [no number]; Fundação Agrisus [3107/21]; Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco [no number].