Twelve years of soil preservation and rehabilitation at Rio do Peixe
watershed, promoting conservation agriculture
Abstract
The overarching goal of this study is to test innovative monitoring
strategies for agricultural properties at watershed towards effectively
locating erosions and correcting them, through the implementation of
changes in soil management strategies. The purpose is to recover and
restore degraded areas, and promote conservation agriculture. The
results are, assessed by remote sensing and water quality indicators. In
2019, twelve years were completed of inspection/monitoring at Rio do
Peixe watershed. From 2007 to 2017, 14,076 ha, were inspected at Vera
Cruz sector, using the Conventional CDA methodology, with 94 properties
having been notified. In Ocauçu, a total of 82 properties were notified,
in a total surface of 9,027 ha. In Marília, the Innovative CDA
Methodology was used, which allowed the inspection and rehabilitation of
52 properties, across 27,775 ha, from 2017 to 2018. After the
notifications, the owners presented the conservationist technical
projects for each property, which were, implemented using conservation
practices, such as: improvement of vegetation cover and crop rotation,
to control laminar erosion; and agricultural terracing, divergent
channels and containment basin, to control gullies erosions. This work
promoted a transformation from degrading agriculture to conservation
agriculture, with degraded pastures having been altered into
agricultural areas, with the implementation of the No-tillage. Pastures
were recovered through the Integrated Crop-Livestock System, and
occupancy rate was increased by 31%. This work has demonstrated to
benefit Watershed farmers, by increasing their productivity and
consequently the profit, as well as the local communities, improving the
quality of water that supplies the region.