Soil management practices adopted by farmers and how they perceive conservation agriculture

ABSTRACT In some rural properties of Brazil, soil and water conservation practices are partially or inappropriately implemented, intensifying soil erosion, even in no-tillage (NT) areas. This study aimed to check the farmer’s understanding of conservation agriculture (CA) and assess whether they are using practices appropriate to soil conservation. A basin in the state of Paraná, in Southern Brazil, was selected. Surveys were conducted based on a structured questionnaire and in-person interviews of 234 farmers. Among these farmers, 67 % do not understand CA pillars adequately, and 68 % stated they have been using NT for over 12 years. However, 58 % stated that they carried out some kind of soil preparation. Furthermore, some of the farmers only partially implemented CA, adopting a low level of crop diversification. The main problems pointed out by the farmers to justify simplifying the CA approach were soil compaction, low production of plant biomass and resistance of weeds to herbicides. Most farmers in the study do not have enough knowledge of the pillars of CA. As a result, there is little diversification in crop rotation, and the soil is continually disturbed with chiseling. Furthermore, although most farmers use terracing, they drive sprayers crossing terraces and following the slope, a practice that can impair the capacity of terraces to control surface water runoff. These practices do not contribute to soil and water conservation and endanger the sustainability of agricultural production systems.

摘要：在巴西部分农村地块，水土保持措施的实施存在不彻底或不当的情况，加剧了土壤侵蚀，即便在免耕（no-tillage, NT）区域亦是如此。本研究旨在探究农户对保护性农业（conservation agriculture, CA）的认知情况，并评估其是否采用了适配土壤保护的耕作措施。研究选取巴西南部巴拉那州的某一流域作为研究区域，通过结构化问卷与面对面访谈的方式对234名农户开展调查。在受访农户中，67%的农户未能充分掌握保护性农业的核心原则，另有68%的农户表示其已采用免耕种植超过12年。但其中58%的农户表示曾开展过各类土壤耕作作业。此外，部分农户仅部分落实保护性农业措施，作物多元化程度较低。农户提出的可作为简化保护性农业举措依据的主要问题包括：土壤板结、植物生物量产量低下以及杂草对除草剂产生抗药性。本研究中的多数农户对保护性农业的核心原则缺乏足够认知。由此导致作物轮作单一化严重，且土壤频繁受到凿式耕作的扰动。此外，尽管多数农户修建了梯田，但他们驾驶施药器械跨梯田作业并沿坡度方向行进，此类操作会削弱梯田控制地表径流的能力。上述各类操作均不利于水土保持，且会危及农业生产系统的可持续性。