Agricultura de conservación en lomos permanentes bajo riego y compactaciónefectos en el ambiente edáfico y el desarrollo del cultivo

Resumen

RESUMEN DE LA TESIS DOCTORAL DE D./Dª Patricio Cid El resumen de la tesis para la base de datos Teseo debe ser una presentación de la tesis y tener la extensión suficiente para que quede explicado el argumento de la tesis doctoral. El formato debe facilitar la lectura y comprensión del texto a los usuarios que accedan a Teseo, debiendo diferenciarse las siguientes partes de la tesis: El resumen se presenta en idioma español e inglés. 1. introducción o motivación de la tesis La agricultura es un caso de interacción entre suelo- biología-atmósfera de la que el medio ambiente puede ser afectado positiva o negativa dependiendo del modo en que se utilizan los factores que intervienen en los procesos. Por desgracia las prácticas agrícolas llevan a consecuencias no deseadas en algunos casos: las tierras de cultivo manejadas de forma tradicional (mediante quema de rastrojos, uso de arado de reja y vertedera además de labranzas secundarias) están expuestas a los efectos de la lluvia y de la escorrentía que aquella puede generar, y, en definitiva, a la erosión del suelo. Dado que la agricultura de conservación (AC) implica labranza reducida o su ausencia además del mantenimiento de rastrojos para cubrir el suelo y la rotación de cultivos, es vista comúnmente como una forma de producir alimentos y fibras u otros productos de la agricultura y reducir al mínimo los riesgos ambientales. Los sistemas agrícolas basados ¿¿en camas permanentes combinadas con riego y tráfico controlado de maquinaria agrícola (CP) demostraron ya la capacidad de mejorar la calidad del suelo en términos de contenido materia orgánica (MOS) y de reducción de la erosión del suelo en comparación con sistemas de camas de labranza convencional también combinados con tráfico controlado (CC) durante una período inicial de estudio, mientras que la producción de bienes y sin limitaciones aparentes. Sin embargo, los sistemas agrícolas tienen que ser productivos y eficientes más allá del corto plazo, por lo que el mencionado sistema CP fue probado en el mediano plazo desde su adopción, tanto en parcelas experimentales como en parcelas comerciales en la provincia de Córdoba, España, en términos de la calidad del suelo, uso de agua por cultivo, crecimiento y rendimiento del cultivo, el comportamiento hidrológico a escala de cuenca y el riesgo de erosión. El objetivo de este Tesis es una evaluación a largo plazo de este sistema en términos de conservación de suelo y agua, así como el crecimiento del cultivo y la producción , teniendo en cuenta las variaciones espaciales (posiciones de camas y surcos con y sin tráfico de rueda de maquinaria) y la escala, prestando atención a la evolución de las posibles limitaciones (compactación de suelo principalmente). Los objetivos específicos de la tesis son: (a) evaluar los efectos a largo plazo de CP y el tráfico controlado de maquinaria en el crecimiento de los cultivos, el rendimiento y la eficiencia del uso del agua; (b) evaluar una operación de subsolado de precisión para reducir la compactación del suelo y la mejora de crecimiento del sistema radicular y el rendimiento del cultivo en CP; (c) caracterizar la evolución de los residuos de los cultivos en el suelo, la calidad del suelo, y las emisiones de CO2 de suelo teniendo en cuenta la variación temporal y espacial debido a la labranza y los regímenes de tránsito de rueda de maquinaria agrícola; (d) estimar el potencial de secuestro de carbono de CP en nuestras condiciones locales; (e) evaluar el desempeño de CP en cuanto al control de la erosión a escala de cuenca. Agriculture is a case of soil-biology-atmosphere interaction from which the environment can be positively or negatively affected depending on the use of the factors involved. Unfortunately, in some cases agricultural practices lead to undesirable consequences: cropping lands managed in a traditional way (where crop residues are burned and/or mouldboard plough is used combined with secondary tillage) are exposed to the effect of rain and runoff that may imply, ultimately, soil erosion. Since conservation agriculture (CA) implies reduced or zero tillage plus maintenance of plant residues for soil covering and crops rotation, is commonly seen as a way of producing food and fibre while minimizing environmental risks. Farming systems based on irrigated permanent beds combined with controlled traffic (PB) demonstrated capability to improve soil quality in terms of organic matter (SOM) content and to reduce soil erosion risk relative to conventionally tilled beds also combined with controlled traffic (CB) during an initial period of study while producing goods without apparent limitations. However, agricultural systems have to be productive and efficient beyond the short term, so that the mentioned PB system was tested on the medium term in both experimental plots and commercial plots in the province of Cordoba in terms of soil quality, use of water by crop, crop growth and yield, hydrological behaviour at catchment scale and erosion risk. The aim of this Ph.D. Thesis is a longer term evaluation of this system in terms of soil and water conservation as well as crop growth and production, considering spatial and scale variations and paying attention to the evolution of possible constraints. The particular objectives of the thesis are: (a) to evaluate longer term effects of PB combined with controlled traffic on crop growth, yield and water use efficiency; (b) to evaluate a precision subsoiling operation for reducing soil compaction and improving root growth and yield in PB; (c) to characterize the evolution of crop residues on the ground, soil quality, and soil CO2 effluxes considering temporal and spatial variation due to tillage and traffic regimes; (d) to estimate carbon sequestration potential of PB under our local conditions; (e) to assess PB performance for erosion control at the catchment scale. 2.contenido de la investigación Una operación de labranza vertical localizada fue llevada a cabo en el cuarto año del sistema CP para aliviar la compactación del suelo y mejorar, de ser posible, el crecimiento y rendimiento del cultivo. CC, CP, y CP descompactado en sus surcos con tráfico de rueda (CPD) fueron evaluados en cuanto a las condiciones del suelo y el crecimiento de los cultivos (tanto en sus órganos áereos como subsuperficiales) y el rendimiento a partir de 2010 y hasta 2012, es decir, desde el cuarto hasta el sexto año desde la formación camas en CP. El suelo resultó más compactado en CP que en CC. CP y CPD difirieron entre sí en cuanto a la compactación del suelo en los surcos con tráfico de rueda de maquinaria, que fue menor en CPD debido a la labranza vertical localizada. No se observaron tendencias claras en términos de crecimiento o rendimiento de cultivo a lo largo de los tres años. Sin embargo el desarrollo del sistema radicular difirió entre los sistemas de cultivo y, dentro de ellos, entre los sitios (surcos, camas). Se desarrollaron más raíces en CC en el suelo superficial (0-0,4 m) y en CP en suelo más profundo (0,4-1 m). CPD presentó el suelo con la menor cantidad de raíces. El tráfico afectó el crecimiento de las raíces, que se concentraron en los sitios libres de la influencia de las ruedas del tractor. Los residuos de cultivos, un componente importante de los sistemas de CP y CPD, se acumularon principalmente en surcos de estos sistemas. Además, algunos de los componentes del ciclo del carbono (MOS y su dinámica así como las emisiones de CO2) se evaluaron en los tres sistemas de cultivo. El alomado del suelo promovió emisiones de CO2 de suelo desde las camas y la labranza vertical localizada aumentó las emisiones en surcos descompactados, lo cual tuvo relación con la humedad y temperatura del suelo, llevando en algunos casos a reducción de MOS. El ciclo del agua y la erosión fueron evaluados en una finca comercial con cultivos anuales regados con técnicas de conservación de suelo, tales como alomado semipermanente, rotaciones de cultivos y labranzas verticales localizadas. El estudio contó con información detallada de las prácticas agrícolas junto con los datos recogidos en una estación hidrológica ubicada a la salida de una cuenca de 27 hectáreas dentro de la finca. Las precipitaciones generaron la mayor parte de la escorrentía escorrentía y pérdida de suelo observadas en la cuenca dentro de la finca. A pesar del hecho de que se aplicaron grandes láminas de riego durante el estudio, la escorrentía producida y las pérdidas de suelo causadas por dicho agente fueron insignificantes. La cobertura del suelo por el dosel de los cultivos y por los rastrojos, así como el manejo del suelo en cuanto a las labranzas practicadas, tuvieron una gran influencia en la erosión de la cuenca. Las técnicas de conservación utilizadas en la finca parecen ser útiles en la reducción de la erosión. Algunos productos agroquímicos también salieron de la cuenca con el agua de escorrentía, algo que debe ser evaluado con mayor profundidad. Zone vertical-tillage was practiced in the fourth year of running PB to alleviate soil compaction and to enhance, if possible, crop growth and yield. CB, PB and the decompacted PB (DPB) were evaluated in terms of soil conditions and crop growth (both above as below ground) and yield from 2010 to 2012, i.e., from the fourth to the sixth year since beds formation in PB. Soil resulted more compacted in PB than in CB. PB and DPB differed to each other regarding soil compaction in trafficked furrows, which was lower in DPB due to the zone vertical-tillage performed on it. No clear tendencies were observed in terms of crop above ground biomass production throughout the three years. Nevertheless, root system development did differ among planting systems and, within them, among sites (furrows, ridges). More roots were developed in CB in shallow soil (0-0.4 m) and in PB in deeper soil (0.4-1 m). DPB had the soil with the lowest amount of roots. Traffic influenced root growth, which concentrated in sites free of tractor-wheel influence. Crop residues, an important component of the PB and DPB systems, accumulated mainly in furrows of these systems compared with beds. Additionally, some components of the carbon cycle (SOM dynamic and CO2 emissions) were tested in the three planting systems. Soil ridging promoted CO2 emissions from beds and vertical-zone tillage increased emissions in furrows, in relation with soil moisture and temperature in some cases, reducing organic matter contents. Water cycle and erosion were assessed in an irrigated annual crops based-commercial farm where soil conservation techniques such as semipermanent ridges, zone vertical-tillage and crop rotations are used. Farming practices together with data collected in a hydrological station located at the outlet of a catchment of 27 ha within the farm made the study possible. Rainfall generated most part of runoff runoff and soil losses from the catchment. In spite of the fact that large irrigation depths were applied during the study, the produced runoff and the soil losses were negligible. Soil coverage by crop and residues, as well as soil management in terms of tillage, had a major influence on erosion in the catchment. The conservation techniques used in the farm seem to be useful in reducing erosion. Some agrochemicals were also exported with runoff water, something that must be evaluated in more depth. 3.conclusión Las camas permanentes re regadío y tráfico controlado, como una variante de los sistemas de agricultura de conservación, está demostrando continuamente, tanto a escala experimental como comercial, ser una importante para la producción de bienes en el entorno mediterráneo, mientras que ofrece determinadas externalidades como la mejora en la calidad del suelo y la reducción de riesgo de erosión. 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