Twelve years of soil preservation and rehabilitation at Rio do Peixe watershed, promoting conservation agriculture

Abstract

The overarching goal of this study is to test innovative monitoring strategies for agricultural properties at watershed towards effectively locating erosions and correcting them, through the implementation of changes in soil management strategies. The purpose is to recover and restore degraded areas, and promote conservation agriculture. The results are, assessed by remote sensing and water quality indicators. In 2019, twelve years were completed of inspection/monitoring at Rio do Peixe watershed.From 2007 to 2017, 14,076 ha, were inspected at Vera Cruz sector, using the Conventional CDA methodology, with 94 properties having been notified. In Ocauçu, a total of 82 properties were notified, in a total surface of 9,027 ha. In Marília, the Innovative CDA Methodology was used, which allowed the inspection and rehabilitation of 52 properties, across 27,775 ha, from 2017 to 2018. After the notifications, the owners presented the conservationist technical projects for each property, which were, implemented using conservation practices, such as: improvement of vegetation cover and crop rotation, to control laminar erosion; and agricultural terracing, divergent channels and containment basin, to control gullies erosions. This work promoted a transformation from degrading agriculture to conservation agriculture, with degraded pastures having been altered into agricultural areas, with the implementation of the No-tillage. Pastures were recovered through the Integrated Crop-Livestock System, and occupancy rate was increased by 31%. This work has demonstrated to benefit Watershed farmers, by increasing their productivity and consequently the profit, as well as the local communities, improving the quality of water that supplies the region.