Temporal Dynamics of Soil Fertility in Sugarcane Area with Emphasis on Sustainable Production

Abstract

The expansion of the area cultivated under sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), has intensified in the biome of Cerrado and the study of the chemical and physical attributes of the soil associated with fertility is still insufficient. The objective of this work was to investigate, through fractal analysis, the spatio-temporal dynamics of soil attributes associated with sugarcane production in a dystrophic Red Latosol in the Cerrado area. The results show mean values for CEC (76,73 mmolc dm-3) and high soil acidity (pH 4.5 – 6.8). The CV for attribute K was medium (56.49%) and low for pH (5.4%). Attributes such as K and soil pH varied (DF<3) throughout the growth of the crop. Mg and OM showed Fractal Dimension values equal to 3 or greater than 3 along the cuts performed. The soil attributes studied showed dependence and variability. Attribute K showed the highest variability, indicating DF<3 in the study area. Our study shows that the Cerrado soil is heterogeneous and that liming for correct soil acidity and fertilization for the next sugarcane plantations should consider temporal variability of the soil, optimizing the increase and profitability of fertilization and minimizing the variability of the potential fertility.

Keywords: Sustainable agriculture, Variability, Temporal changes, conservation, Agricultural management