Erosion Control in the Sustainable Cultivation of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at Two Stages of the Agricultural Cycle in Southern Guatemala
| Autor: | Rafael Blanco Sepúlveda, Francisco Enríquez Narváez |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Erosion control
Geography Planning and Development lcsh:TJ807-830 lcsh:Renewable energy sources 010501 environmental sciences Management Monitoring Policy and Law 01 natural sciences plant litter cover Sustainable agriculture lcsh:Environmental sciences 0105 earth and related environmental sciences lcsh:GE1-350 Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment lcsh:Environmental effects of industries and plants Sowing soil conservation 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences weed cover Plant litter Tillage lcsh:TD194-195 Agronomy 040103 agronomy & agriculture Erosion Litter tillage 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science water erosion Soil conservation |
| Zdroj: | Sustainability, Vol 10, Iss 12, p 4654 (2018) Sustainability Volume 10 Issue 12 |
| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| Popis: | Agricultural intensification in the mountains of Central America has increased soil vulnerability to erosion by water. This study was undertaken to analyse the erosion that affects the mixed cultivation of maize and beans at two stages of the crop development cycle (at 3 and 6 months after sowing) in southern Guatemala, together with the influence of the ground and crop canopy vegetal cover on soil erosion. The main aim of this analysis is to establish the soil erosion threshold enabling sustainable agriculture. The results obtained show that the soil surface was severely eroded, with mean values of area affected of 88.4% and 73.5% at 3 and 6 months, respectively. In the 3-month plots, the erosion bore scant relation to the factors analysed. Conversely, the area affected by soil erosion in the 6-month plots was significantly related to the degree of ground cover by weeds and litter, and the erosion threshold was located at 80% of vegetal cover. However, plots with this level of cover did not achieve effective erosion control, due to the low level of plant litter cover (15.7%) compared to that of weeds (75.5%). We conclude that this low content of vegetal residue in the soil, together with the tillage practices employed, explains the large surface area affected by erosion and the impossibility of establishing an erosion threshold. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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