Atributos do solo que determinam a produtividade das culturas para prevenir a degradação de solos estruturalmente frágeis

Abstract

In the north central region of Maranhao, soils are more prone to degradation due to some of their characteristics, such as high level of weathering, accelerated decomposition of soil organic matter and predisposition to cohesion. The cohesion makes it difficult or difficult to prepare the soil with plowing and harvesting, since the application of this technique can increase the compaction of these soils. These characteristics hamper the development of agriculture. In addition, it is predominant to use the slash and burning system for planting agricultural crops, an outdated system that is no longer supported by the absence of areas to clear and contribution to the degradation of natural resources. Given these circumstances and the increasing concern of society with the way of producing food, it is necessary to adopt agricultural practices that increase crop productivity, taking into account the peculiarities of each region, allowing to meet the needs of the present without compromising the food production of future generations. Therefore, the efficiency of nutrient use is the main factor that influences the management of agro-systems in the humid tropics due to the low capacity of planting in the soil and high rates of nutrient loss. Some studies developed in the region have suggested the use of no-tillage system in tree legume straw (alley cropping) as a management practice. This system has excelled in improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Such advantages could allow to intensify the production by increasing the efficiency of use of nutrients and water with the consequent reduction of soil degradation in the Amazonian periphery. These advantages need to be properly measured by soil quality indicators that must first be sensitive to management variations, well correlated with soil functions, able to elucidate ecosystem processes, be understandable, useful to the farmer and preferably, easy and inexpensive measurement. Based on these experiments, we sought to deepen the understanding of the indicators that affect maize production in cohesive tropical soil.