DISTURBANCES CAUSED BY FLOODS IN THREE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF A VERTISOL SOIL IN THE EAST REGION OF CUBA, CULTIVATED WITH SUGARCANE (Saccharum spp.)

Abstract

In Cuba the 40,3 % of cultivated lands is located in poorly drained soils, with tendency to increase, compounded by the effects of current climate change, which in this region of Cuba are becoming with more frequency in extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. The research was developed with the objective of determining the influence of flooding in a Vertisol soil in three phisycal properties in the Cauto River Valley, of the Granma province, Cuba. It was considered the presence or absence of flooding as the principal factor on large plots, each one divided into 30 plots of 48 m 2 , to facilitate take the replicate samples. Two samplings, one at the beginning of the experiment and the other five months later, when the soil flooded concluded. The average of the bulk density, total porosity and aeration porosity values with their standard errors were plotted by bars, while statistically discriminated with the use of the Student t test. It is concluded that prolongated water excess in the soil increased bulk density and makes it significantly decreases the total aeration and porosity, which affects physical fertility of these soils and a decrease of the sugarcane yield, the principal crop in Cuba yet. KEYWORDS:Flooding, soil, physical properties. ALTERACIONES PROVOCADAS EN TRES PROPIEDADES FÍSICAS DE UN SUELO VERTISOL POR EFECTO DE LAS INUNDACIONES EN LA REGIÓN ORIENTAL DE CUBA, CULTIVADO CON CAÑA DE AZÚCAR (Saccharum spp.) RESUMENSe parte del hecho de que en Cuba el 40,3% del área agrícola cultivada se ubica en suelos de mal drenaje, con tendencia al incremento, agravado por los efectos del cambio climático actual, donde en esta región de Cuba son cada vez más frecuentes los eventos climatológicos extremos como sequías e inundaciones. El trabajo se desarrolló con el objetivo de determinar la influencia que ejerce el sobrehumedecimiento del suelo en tres propiedades físicas de un suelo Vertisol del Valle del Río Cauto en la provincia de Granma, Cuba, en el cual se cultiva caña de azúcar. Se consideró el factor presencia-ausencia de sobrehumedecimiento en parcelas grandes, subdividido en 30 parcelas de 48 m 2 , para facilitar la toma de muestras replicadas. Se realizaron dos muestreos, uno al inicio del experimento y el otro a los cinco meses, una vez concluido el sobrehumedecimiento. Los valores promedio de la densidad aparente, porosidad total y porosidad de aireación con sus errores estándar se representaron gráficamente por medio de barras, mientras que se discriminaron estadísticamente con el empleo de la prueba t de student. Se llegó a la conclusión de que el exceso de agua en el suelo incrementa la densidad aparente y hace descender significativamente la porosidad total y de aireación, lo que afecta la fertilidad física de estos suelos, lo que provoca un descenso en los rendimientos agroindustriales de la caña de azúcar, principal cultivo económico en Cuba. Palabras claves: Sobrehumedecimiento, suelo, propiedades físicas.

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