Soil compaction in coffee farming under different agricultural mechanization processes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25186/.v21i.2480Abstract
Soil compaction is a global environmental problem that affects all agricultural crops, especially those with a perennial cycle, such as coffee. Machinery traffic imposes severe loads on soils and can reduce the productivity and longevity of coffee crops in the state of Minas Gerais. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the spatial variability of soil compaction caused by repeated passages of agricultural machinery in a coffee plantation. Georeferenced soil Penetration Resistance (PR) samples were collected after the second pass of the coffee harvester, following crop uprooting, plowing, and land leveling, in an area in southern Minas Gerais state. The data were interpolated using geostatistical spatial dependence analysis using Rstudio software, and compaction maps were created using Qgis. All treatments showed spatial dependence for soil PR data. No significant differences were found in soil moisture data. Harvesting, uprooting, and plowing operations resulted in moderate to very high soil RP levels, while leveling resulted in moderate levels of compaction. Plowing and leveling operations reduced soil compaction levels, while harvesting operations increased soil penetration resistance.
Key words: Soil preparation; harvest; soil penetration resistance; precision agriculture; agricultural mechanization.
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