Soil and water loss in Ultisol of the Cerrado-Pantanal Ecotone under different management systems

No-tillage systems significantly reduce soil and water loss compared to conventional tillage, with crop residue deposition playing a crucial role in erosion mitigation. A study on the Cerrado-Pantanal Ecotone demonstrated that no-tillage (NT) with high crop densities (9 Mg ha⁻¹) minimized soil losses by up to 350 g m⁻² and water losses by up to 27 L m⁻² under simulated rainfall. In contrast, conventional tillage (CT) exhibited the highest erosion rates, highlighting its vulnerability to water erosion. Minimum tillage (MT) also performed better than CT but less effectively than NT. The research used a portable rainfall simulator to assess soil and water loss across four management systems—CT, MT, and NT with varying crop densities—revealing that residue cover is more effective in mitigating soil loss than water loss. These findings underscore the importance of sustainable agricultural practices in preserving Ultisols, critical soils in ecologically sensitive regions like the Pantanal.

Eloi, P., Aparecida, d. N. d. S., Dorly, S. P. T. A., & Rafael, M. (2015). Soil and water loss in Ultisol of the Cerrado-Pantanal Ecotone under different management systems. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 10(9), 926–932. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajar2014.8908