Evaluación de la fertilidad y productividad de los suelos con prácticas de agricultura de conservación en la microcuenca del río Sicalpa.

Abstract

This investigation objectivewas to evaluate the fertility and productivity of soils with conservation agriculture practices in the Sicalpa River microbasin; a randomized complete block design with 9 treatments (including the control) with three replications was implemented and the variables diversion ditches, reduced tillage and soil cover wereevaluated with their interactionsand without the application of conservation agriculture practices, parameters such as ammonium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium content, yield in kilograms per hectare of the crops in rotation (potato, oats-vetch, barley and broad bean) were also evaluated. The best results were gotten with the bean crop plus the application of the practices, with a higher accumulation and low demand of ammonium, potassium and magnesium content of 23.53%, 33.42% and 0.17%, respectively, compared to the control, while the best results for phosphorus and sulfur content were in the oatvetch and potato crops respectively, plus the application of conservation agriculture practices, there was a greater accumulation and low demand for phosphorus and sulfur, by 44.91% and 10.01% respectively compared to the control. In terms of yields, the best results were gotten with the interactions with trench-conventional tillage-without cover in the potato crop with 27.92%, compared to the control. Yield of 43.12% was reached with the interaction reduced tillage-with cover. It is concluded that the interaction with trench-reduced tillage-with cover reached the best results not only in nutrient content but also in obtaining a higher agronomic yield. It is recommended that investigation studies with the support of the farmers go on giving information on the benefits of water detour ditches, reduced tillage and cover crops with resides to improve the sustainability of agricultural production systems in this microbasin.