Water storage in a Plinthaqualf cultivated with sugarcane under straw levels

Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate water storage in a Plinthaqualf under different straw levels during the fourth ratoon season of a sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) crop. The study was conducted in the 2013/2014 crop season, with the cultivar SP-813250, at two soil depths (0.0-0.3 and 0.3-0.6 m), in a randomized complete block design, with five straw levels (0.0, 4.2, 9.5, 13.0, and 18.4 Mg ha-1) and four replicates. Soil moisture content was monitored with a time-domain reflectometer. The straw provided gains of up to 20 Mg ha-1 stems and kept increased water storage in the soil, in comparison with the soil without straw, in all evaluated periods. Maintenance of up to 50% (9.5 Mg ha-1) of sugarcane straw on soil surface promotes better water retention in the soil per Mg of straw added and delays the reach of critical water storage in the soil by up to 11 days, when compared with soil without straw cover.