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Sediment, nutrient and water losses by water erosion under agroforestry systems in the semi-arid region in northeastern Brazil

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Abstract

Inadequate soil management practices adopted in the Brazilian semi-arid region contribute to erosive processes. Agroforestry systems (AFs) have been considered an alternative to reduce water erosion. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of two alternatives AFs, a traditional and an intensive cropping system on the losses of sediments, water, organic carbon and nutrients caused by water erosion in comparison to the natural vegetation (caatinga) in a semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. The agroecosystems studied were: agrosilvopasture (AGP) which consisted of an alley cropping system, cultivated with Leucaena leucocephala and maize, within an area composed by 22% of native trees (200 native trees per hectare) which was grazed during the dry season; silvopasture (SILV) that was composed by 38% of native trees (260 trees per hectare) with a stocking rate of 20 ewes during whole year; traditional agrosilvopasture (TRAG) being managed as following: total deforestation, burning of the residues, cropped with maize for 2 years (1998 and 1999) and fallow during 8–10 years; and intensive cropping (IC) system which was deforested and burned in 1997 followed by cultivation of maize from 1998 to 2002, and thereafter by a fallow period of 8–10 years similar to TRAG. Two areas of native forest (NF1, NF2) known as ‘caatinga’, used as grassland during the dry season and as a source of wood, were selected and used as reference of steady state in the comparative study in relation to the cultivated sites. Sediment and water losses as a result of erosion were collected during two rainy seasons, i.e. 2003 and 2004, and nutrients and organic carbon contents were determined. Soil samples were collected and organic carbon, pH in water, pH in KCl, water dispersible clay (WDC) and hydraulic conductivity (K0) were measured. In 2003, sediment and water losses did not differ significantly among all treatments. However, in 2004, TRAG (0.70 Mg ha−1) and NF1 (1.37 Mg ha−1) showed the highest sediment losses, whereas TRAG and IC presented the highest water losses. On average, nutrients losses in cropped areas were lower than in natural vegetation (NF1, NF2). The alternative AFs (AGP, SILV) were efficient to reduce water erosion effects when compared to the most common agricultural practices adopted in the region, being highly recommended as sustainable technical alternatives for food production in the region.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazilian government) for the scholarships, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)/Programa de Cooperação Acadêmica (PROCAD) for the financial support, and to the Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Caprinos of Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (CNPC-EMBRAPA) by technical support. Thanks are given also to Prof. Robert Gilkes from the University of Western Australia by review assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Ceará, Campus do PICI, Bloco 807, Fortaleza-CE, 60455-760, Brazil

    Maria Ivanilda de Aguiar, Stoécio Malta Ferreira Maia, Francisco Alisson da Silva Xavier & Teógenes Senna de Oliveira

  2. Department of Plant Production, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre-ES, 29500-000, Brazil

    Eduardo de Sá Mendonça

  3. National Caprine Research Center CNPC/EMBRAPA, Sobral-CE, 62011-970, Brazil

    João Ambrósio Araújo Filho

Authors
  1. Maria Ivanilda de Aguiar
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  2. Stoécio Malta Ferreira Maia
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  3. Francisco Alisson da Silva Xavier
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  4. Eduardo de Sá Mendonça
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  5. João Ambrósio Araújo Filho
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  6. Teógenes Senna de Oliveira
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Correspondence to Teógenes Senna de Oliveira.

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de Aguiar, M.I., Maia, S.M.F., Xavier, F.A.d.S. et al. Sediment, nutrient and water losses by water erosion under agroforestry systems in the semi-arid region in northeastern Brazil. Agroforest Syst 79, 277–289 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-010-9310-2

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