Ana Leônia de Araújo Girão

Sustainable practices are key factors in the advancement of environmental protection in agroecosystems, especially if these systems are situated in degraded and vulnerable areas, such as semiarid regions. One sustainable practice developed primarily in tropical farms is the use of a multi-cropping system. This system was applied using participatory approaches by family farmers from a semiarid region of Brazil and evaluated based on the perception and monitoring of the farmers, particularly the soil moisture enhancement in their productive areas. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of management practices on soil moisture in multi-cropping areas using an alternative method, based on the standard method, developed and applied by farmers in the field. In addition, the soil moisture alterations in multi-cropping systems were evaluated considering the water retention curve and the soil moisture monitoring in situ. We concluded that conservative practices in multi-cropping systems do contribute to water conservation. Furthermore, the establishment of a methodology to evaluate multi-cropping systems directly in the field by farmers is an important strategy to show to the farmers’ results that confirm the importance of the practices developed by them to maintain good production and general benefits to the environment.

The Apodi Plateau, located in the northeastern part of the state of Ceará in Brazil, has limestone as its parent material, with significant variation in the soils formed in this region, as well as the presence of iron nodules, having been identified. The iron oxides have been used as indicators for evaluating the weathering processes of some soils, with the nodules being sources of information about pedogenic processes. Seeking to evaluate the influence of the karstic parent material and of the iron nodules on soil genesis in the Apodi Plateau, the morphological, physical and chemical properties of five profiles were evaluated, as well as of the iron nodules present in some horizons. The profiles were classified as RED-YELLOW ARGISOL Abruptic eutrophic plinthosol (P1), Tb HAPLIC CAMBISOL Eutrophic latosol (P2), RED-YELLOW ARGISOL Abruptic eutrophic plinthosol (P3), Tb HAPLIC CAMBISOL Eutrophic latosol (P4) and RED ARGISOL Eutrophic nitosol (P5). Changes in chemical, physical and morphological characteristics were observed at depth in some profiles, suggesting variation in the characteristics of the parent material. Nodules of class C1 (0.053 to 0.25 mm) and C2 (0.25 to 2.00 mm) were concentrated on the surface, alternating with a sub-surface concentration of class C3 (2.00 to 4.76 mm), C4 (4.76 to 7.90 mm) and C5 (7.90 to 19.1 mm). Profile P5, considered as more evolved, showed a predominance of classes C1, C2 and C3 in the surface horizons, indicating degradation of the larger-diameter nodules with the advancing weathering process.

Conservation practices are important in improving the environmental protection of agroecosystems in semiarid regions, as these are considered to be fragile environments. Soil-quality indicators are useful elements in evaluating the impact of some agricultural management practices, and the use of recognized indicators which are able to be measured by farmers is an innovative approach that seeks to integrate both scientific and local knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of various management practices through indicators of soil quality related to soil structure, in areas of family farming where agroecological consortiums are employed. These indicators were identified as important by the farmers themselves, and methodologies were suggested for field application by the farmers, which were later compared to applications made in the laboratory. The indicators used were penetration resistance of the soil and stability and dispersion of aggregates for areas of agroecological consortium and natural vegetation. It can be concluded that agroecological consortia contribute to the conservation of soil structure and that the involvement of farmers plays an important role in developing research.

A avaliação do conjunto de conhecimentos gerados e transmitidos por populações humanas caracteriza-se como o campo de atuação dos estudos etnocientíficos. Esta avaliação de conhecimentos relacionados aos solos e sua associação com recursos naturais, bem como estratégias desenvolvidas para produção são os objetos de estudo da etnopedologia. A utilização de metodologias participativas que promovam a inserção direta dos envolvidos na pesquisa são premissas básicas nos trabalhos etnopedológicos. As áreas de avaliação etnopedológicas relacionam-se, dentre outros aspectos, a nomenclaturas para classificação das terras e práticas de manejo. O crescente desenvolvimento etnopedológico revela o reconhecimento da importância do solo como um recurso limitado e essencial para a vida e reforça uma visão conservacionista importante a ser considerada na construção de trabalhos na área de ciências do solo.