Sistema Santa Fé auxilia na redução do escoamento superficial e melhoria da qualidade da água?

Abstract

The cover crop on the soil surface is a fundamental practice for the establishment of soil and water conservation systems.The Santa Fé System consists of the inclusion of forage species in the grain production system, mainly by intercropping. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of cultivation of single maize and maize in consortium with U. brizantha cv. marandu, in runoff and qualityof runoffusing a rainfall simulator.The experiment was carried out at the School Farm of the IF Goiano Campus Iporá in a Quartzipsament, in a Brazilian Savanna region.The following land coverwere evaluated: uncoveredsoil, single hybrid corn and SantaFé System. For the determination of the runoff volume and the runoff quality, three tests were performed in each treatment, using a pendulum rainfall simulator built at the IF Goiano Campus Iporá. In each test, the total volume of runoffwas counted and every five minutes samples were collected to characterize the runoffquality, in which turbidity, pH and electrical conductivity were analyzed.Water losses were reduced by 82% and turbidity by 96% in the Santa Fé system, compared to uncoveredsoil.The Santa Fé System showed better performance with less runoff volume and better quality of runoff when turbidity was evaluated, which demonstrates its high potential in minimizing soil water erosion.