Manejo da palhada de cana-de-açúcar e seus impactos nas perdas de solo e água

Abstract

Conserving and improving the soil, aiming to keep its sustainability is the big challenge for the food production. For that matter, adding residues is one of the most effective ways for erosion control. The sugar cane mechanized harvest leaves a large amountof straw on soil’s surface, however, due to the second generation of alcohol production, a part of such straw has been taken. The goal of this work is to determine the effect of taking different amounts of straw in soil and water losses, in natural raining conditions. The experiment was developed at the Agricultural Science Center from the Federal University of Alagoas (9°27’55,5”S and 35°49’35,4”O). The soil was under four kinds of treatment with different proportions of sugar cane solid waste as dead covering. (T0) 0% of solid wasteproduced, (T100) 100% of solid waste produced and (TDESC) discovered portion (Wischmeier pattern). The portions were distributed in the field by parts at random, with three repetitions for all the treatments, except the uncovered soil, with just two repetitions. Keeping 50% (7,5 Mg ha-1 year-1) of sugar cane solid waste (Saccharum officinarum) on the soil surface has reduced the erosion, decreasing soil and water losses, optimizing its sustainability, enabling the taking of half part of the sugar cane solid waste annually, to be sent to the production of energy.