ABSTRACT Soil erosion in tropical environments causes environmental, social and economic damage. Canephora coffee crops are impacted by soil erosion and testing alternatives to mitigate this damage is a current need. This study aimed to evaluate the losses of sediment, organic carbon, nutrients and surface runoff caused by water erosion in between-rows spacing of Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner plants in management with and without cover crops, and the effect of the intensity of rains on sediment loss and […]

ABSTRACT In the tropics, water erosion is one of the most important factors leading to the degradation and deterioration of agricultural land. Olive orchards have a low canopy coverage, especially during the first years after planting, due to the low density of olive trees. Given the fast expansion of olive orchards in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of cover vegetation on soil and water losses under natural rainfall. In addition, it was assessed the crop performance and […]

Water infiltration in the soil is an important hydrological process that occurs at the interface of the soil-atmosphere system; thus, the soil management practice used has a strong influence on this process. The aim of this study was to evaluate water infiltration in the soil and compare equations for estimating the water infiltration rate in an Ultisol after harvesting common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under simulated rainfall. Field tests with a rainfall simulator were carried out in three soil management […]

The transport of pollutants via runoff in agricultural areas, mainly in soluble forms, is an environmental problem, even in conservation tillage systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate losses of nitrogen and organic carbon in runoff, after applications of 0, 60, 120, and 180 m3 ha-1 yr-1 of cattle slurry to a clayey Oxisol, with 10 % slope under no-tillage and natural rainfall, in the region of Castro – PR. The application of cattle slurry did not affect […]

Estimates of water and soil losses have been carried out worldwide, using empirical or conceptual models, such as SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). SWAT, widely used to predict the impact of changes in soil use and management on soil loss and stream flow rate, is extremely sensitive to the quality of input data. Consequently, prior to an application of the model, a sensitivity analysis is required to deal more carefully and with more precision with certain data, reducing the […]

Gully erosion occurs by the combined action of splash, sheetwash and rill-wash (interrill and rill erosion). These erosion processes have a great capacity for both sediment production and sediment transport. The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate hydrological and sediment transport in a degraded area, severely dissected by gullies; to assess the hydraulic flow characteristics and their aggregate transport capacity; and to measure the initial splash erosion rate. In the study area in Guarapuava, State of Paraná, Brazil (lat […]

The soil management systems change the microrelief and the crop residue cover, influencing the soil and water losses. In this study evaluated the soil and water losses and estimated the water final infiltration rate in different soil managements models under simulated rainfall. Crop residues were evaluated in the field after harvest of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill). Three soil managements systems were studied: no-tillage, disk harrow and chisel plow associated with three levels of dry soybean residue: 0; 2; and […]

The crop type and seed row direction in relation to the land slope can modify the total amount and size of runoff-transported sediment. They may alter the relation between organic carbon levels in the sediments and the eroded soil. The current study aimed to quantify the sediment size and proportion transported at constant runoff rate and the organic carbon level in the sediments and the eroded soil, under oat and vetch sown in two row directions. Four simulated rainfalls were […]

Considering that Brazil and many other countries with tropical ecosystems need to enhance methods of embankment cover, it is necessary to study the enhancement of available erosion control means. The study objective was to evaluate the efficiency of three commercial erosion mats: MacMat®, Fibrax® and Tela Biotêxtil® in rainfall surface erosion protection. The experiment was carried out between December 2003 and March 2004 on an embankment of a road section in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Surface runoff from the […]

Campos Gerais in the State of Paraná (Brazil) is an important region of milk production and consequently of cattle slurry. The purposes of this study were: (a) to evaluate losses of water, soil, total P, soluble P and particulate P under simulated rainfall performed immediately after the application of 0, 30, 60 and 90 m3 ha-1 cattle slurry on a Red-Yellow Latossol (Ferralsol) under no-tillage system, and (b) to discuss the possible impacts on water quality. Slurry application increased the surface runoff […]