Soil, water and nutrient loss under conventional and organic vegetable production managed in small farms

Agricultural systems with conventional tillage and intensive use of agrochemicals, especially those on high slopes and with shallow soils, have the potential to release pollutants. This study aimed at evaluating the soil, water and nutrient lost via agricultural runoff in large plots (small catchments) under conventional and organic farming of vegetables as well as under forest (control) system in a Cambisol in the Campestre catchment. Samples of runoff were collected biweekly for one year through a Coshocton wheel. The soil and water losses from the conventional farming were 218 and 6 times higher, respectively, than forest. Under organic farming the soil and water losses were 12 and 4 times higher, respectively, than forest. However the soil losses (0.5 to 114 kg ha^(−1) year^(−1)) are considered low in agronomy but environmentally represent a potential source of surface water contamination by runoff associated pollutants. The concentrations and losses of all forms of phosphorus (P) were higher in the conventional system (9.5, 0.9 and 0.3 mg L^(−1) of total P for conventional, organic and forest systems, respectively), while the organic system had the highest concentrations and losses of soluble nitrogen (4.7, 38.6 and 0.4 mg L^(−1) of NO_3-N, respectively). The percentage of bioavailable P was proportionally higher in the organic system (91% of total P lost was as bioavailable P), indicating greater potential for pollution in the short term

Educational procedures guided by emancipatory principles for education on soils in higher education: A proposal

ABSTRACT The traditional paradigm of education, although outdated, still supports Soil Educational procedures in several Brazilian universities. However, the strategic documents of these institutions (Institutional Development Plan-IDP, Institutional Political Project-IPP and Pedagogical Projects of Courses-PPC's) support a critical vision of education, which converges with the emancipatory paradigm and with the purpose of Soil Education (SE), which is the formation and transformation of subjects for conscious actions in reality. To overcome this problem, we propose educational procedures guided by emancipatory principles for two disciplines related to the subject of soils in Higher Education (HE) in a traditional paradigm structure, with the objective of meeting the conception of education supported in the strategic documents of a Brazilian public university and achieving the purpose of SE. A bibliographical research and documental analysis of the strategic documents were carried out to form a theoretical and methodological base. In addition, emancipatory principles were considered in the elements that made up the educational procedures in SE. The proposal was analyzed and discussed based on the behavior of these principles in the structure of the disciplines. To verify how the proposal articulates with the conception of education defended by the university, the analysis started from the didactic-pedagogical aspects expressed in the IDP, IPP, PPC's and Teaching Plans of the disciplines involved in the research. We emphasize that it was possible to propose and apply educational procedures on soils with emancipatory principles within a traditional paradigm structure. Some principles were considered in essence, while others could not be considered or were only partially considered, showing that the traditional paradigm limits principles that go against its foundations. The proposal responded more to the concept of critical education defended in the strategic documents than the Soil Educational procedures with traditional principles elaborated and used by professors, since the proposal considered the student’s protagonism, the constitution of their autonomy, knowledge as relational, research as an educational principle, interculturality and procedural and continuous evaluation. On the other hand, procedures with traditional principles considered students as passive subjects, knowledge was seen as fragmented and their approach was made in an authoritarian way, disregarding students’ knowledge and the evaluation was quantitative. Furthermore, the convergence of educational intentionality between Education in Soils and education with emancipatory principles allows us to state that the emancipatory paradigm was an alternative to achieve the educational and formative purpose in educational processes on soils

CARBON AND PHOSPHORUS BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES IN NATIVE FOREST AND HORTICULTURAL AREAS IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF CURITIBA, BRAZIL

This study was carried out to verify if the different phosphate fractions in the soil affect the soil microbial biomass. Soil samples were collected from native forest and horticultural areas, in four municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Brazil, and evaluated for: carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) of microbial biomass (MBC, MBN and MBP, respectively), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (iP), organic phosphorus (oP) and available phosphorus (aP. Soil suspensions diluted at 10-4 were spread on plates and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were counted. The analyses showed that horticultural areas soils accumulated 43% more TP whereas they lost 23% of TOC and 19% of TN comparing to native areas. 69% of TP in the native areas was organic (oP) whereas 59% of TP in the horticultural areas was inorganic (iP). Horticultural areas had lower numbers of colony forming unities of PSB than native areas.  PSB was positively correlated with the ratio of MBC to TOC (qMic), which in turn, was negatively correlated with TOC and TN. Changes in the soil oP fraction suggested a shift in the soil community bacterial structure and in the values of soil microbial biomass, which may have contributed to lower soil organic matter in the horticultural areas.Este estudo foi conduzido para verificar se as diferentes frações de fosfato do solo afetam a biomassa microbiana do solo Amostras de solo foram coletadas em áreas de floresta nativa e horticultura, em quatro municípios da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba, Brasil, e avaliadas quanto a: carbono (C), nitrogênio (N) e fósforo (P) da biomassa microbiana (MBC , MBN e MBP, respectivamente), carbono orgânico total (TOC), nitrogênio total (TN), fósforo total (TP), fósforo inorgânico (iP), fósforo orgânico (oP) e fósforo disponível (aP), As suspensões de solo diluídas em 10-4 foram espalhadas em placas e as bactérias solubilizadoras de fosfato (PSB) foram contadas. As análises mostraram que os solos das áreas de horticultura acumularam 43% a mais de TP enquanto perderam 23% de TOC e 19% de TN em comparação com as áreas nativas. 69% do TP nas áreas nativas era orgânico (oP) enquanto 59% do TP nas áreas de horticultura era inorgânico (iP). As áreas de horticultura apresentaram menor número de unidades formadoras de colônias de PSB do que as áreas nativas. PSB foi positivamente correlacionado com a razão de MBC para TOC (qMic), que por sua vez, foi negativamente correlacionado com TOC e TN. Mudanças na fração de oP do solo sugeriram uma mudança na estrutura bacteriana da comunidade do solo e nos valores de biomassa microbiana do solo, o que pode ter contribuído para reduzir a material orgânica do solo nas áreas de horticultura

Panorama atual e potencial de aplicação da abordagem dos serviços ecossistêmicos do solo no Brasil

Human pressure on ecosystems has undesirable impacts on human well-being. After the Millennium Project, much interdisciplinary research has been developed worldwide aiming to understand these impacts on ecosystem flows and processes, and to learn about the costs and the benefits of ecosystem services for production. Soil provides many ecosystem services, since its multi-functionality is the basis for food production, water filtration, nutrient cycling, and other goods essential to life. This article presents the main concepts and classifications of soil ecosystem services and of its functions; the indicators and the methods for assessment, modeling, and valuation of ecosystem services; some recent applications to assess and evaluate impacts of agricultural management practices on soil ecosystem services; as well as challenges and opportunities for research and for development of public policies related to agro-environmental sustainability in Brazil. Although the role of soil in supplying ecosystem services is yet undervalued, scientists are gradually recognizing soil processes and functions as fundamental to assess ecosystem services and the effects of land use and management on them. Interdisciplinary approaches to integrate science and public policies are necessary to build governance based on ecosystem services.A pressão humana sobre os serviços ecossistêmicos tem resultado em impactos indesejáveis sobre o bem-estar humano. Com o Projeto Millennium, várias pesquisas interdisciplinares têm sido desenvolvidas em todo o mundo com o objetivo de entender esses impactos sobre os fluxos e os processos dos ecossistemas e internalizar os custos e os benefícios dos serviços ecossistêmicos para a produção. O solo fornece muitos serviços ecossistêmicos, uma vez que sua multifuncionalidade é a base para a produção de alimentos, filtração de água, ciclagem de nutrientes e outros bens essenciais à vida. Este artigo apresenta os principais conceitos e classificações dos serviços ecossistêmicos do solo e de suas funções; os indicadores e os métodos de avaliação, modelagem e valoração dos serviços ecossistêmicos; algumas aplicações recentes para avaliar impactos de práticas de manejo agrícola sobre os serviços ecossistêmicos do solo; bem como os desafios e as oportunidades para a pesquisa e para o desenvolvimento de políticas públicas relacionadas à sustentabilidade agroambiental no Brasil. Apesar de o papel do solo para prestação de serviços ecossistêmicos ainda ser subestimado, os cientistas têm gradualmente reconhecido os processos e as funções do solo como fundamentais para avaliar os serviços ecossistêmicos e os efeitos do uso e manejo da terra sobre eles. Abordagens interdisciplinares que integrem ciência e políticas públicas são necessárias para construir uma governança com base em serviços ecossistêmicos

Soil system quality in the agricultural production

No último século, a elevada degradação dos recursos naturais fez surgir o interesse mundial em identificar qualidade do solo. Este interesse está baseado na consciência de que o solo é um dos agentes reguladores dos grandes ciclos da biosfera terrestre. Qualidade do solo é definida como a capacidade de um solo exercer suas funções na natureza. Em função disto, buscou-se compreender o funcionamento do solo, estudando os princípios da termodinâmica do não-equilíbrio, pois é o ramo da ciência que abrange os sistemas abertos. Neste trabalho, pressupõem-se que o adequado funcionamento do solo capacita o mesmo produzir alimentos, enquanto incrementa sua qualidade. O sistema solo é o resultado de complexas interações dos subsistemas mineral, plantas e microrganismos. O seu funcionamento ocorre pela passagem do fluxo de energia e matéria, o qual se caracteriza pela entrada de compostos orgânicos, adicionados pelas plantas e transformados pelos microrganismos. Conforme este fluxo, o sistema se auto-organiza em estados de ordem, os quais são representados, de certa forma, pela hierarquia de agregação do solo. O processo de agregação consiste na formação em seqüência de estruturas cada vez mais complexas, conduzida pela entrada de compostos orgânicos. Estas estruturas possuem níveis de ordem, que aumentam conforme aumenta a interação entre os minerais, as plantas e os microrganismos. O estado de ordem em nível alto é caracterizado pela maior proporção de macroagregados e quantidade de carbono retido, gerando propriedades emergentes que capacitam o sistema solo exercer suas funções e, assim, atingir qualidade. Sistemas solo foram analisados quanto ao fluxo de energia e matéria e aos estados de ordem resultantes, com o objetivo de avaliar o seu funcionamento na produção agrícola. Para isto, utilizou-se simulações pelo modelo Century de dinâmica da matéria orgânica do solo e determinações de classes de agregados e de carbono orgânico total do solo em experimento de longa duração. Com os dados, buscou-se identificar práticas de manejo que favoreçam a qualidade do sistema solo. A partir dos resultados obtidos, estas práticas de manejo consistem na adição contínua e diversificada de energia e matéria, via cultivo de plantas, e o não revolvimento do solo.The intense degradation ofthe natural resources in the last century brought to the world the interest in identifying the soil quality. This interest is based on the awareness that the soil is one of the balancing agents of the greatest earth biosphere cycles. Soil quality is defmed as the capacity of it to have its functions in the environmental. Because o( that it has been tried to understand the soil performance through the studying of the non-equilibrium thermodynamic, which is the science that studies the open systems. lt is assumed in this work that the appropriate function of the soil enables it to produce food while getting better quality. The soil system is the result of a complex interaction among the mineral, the plants and the microorganisms systems. lts functioning is determined by the addition of organic compounds by plants that undergoes microbiological transformations in the soil, representing the flow of energy and matter through it. According to this flow the soil system self-organizes in states of orders which are represented, in a way, by the soil aggregation hierarchy. The process of the soil aggregation is the sequence formation of more complex structures led by the organic compounds entrance and biological activity. These structures have order leveis that increase as the interaction among mineral, plants and microorganisms increases. The high levei order state is characterized by the higher proportions of macroaggregates and the amount of carbon retained, resulting in properties that enable the soil system to function adequately and reach quality Soil systems were analyzed through the flow of energy and matter and the resulting order states, in order to evaluate the soil system performance in the agricultura production. Total soil organic carbon accumulation, soil aggregation and balance between carbon addition and losses by the Century soil organic matter model in long term experiment were determined. With the data, management practices were identified in order to achieve the soil system quality. From the results obtained the practices are the continuous and diverse adding of energy and matter by plants and the no-tillage ofthe soil.