Modelagem da proteção do solo por plantas de cobertura no sul de Minas Gerais

Abstract

The ground cover is the most important factor relative to control erosion. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a model plant cover for 24 cover crops used in several cropping systems and historical use, with potential for cultivation in southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. To evaluate the vegetation cover field assessments using the strip land cover classification. A completely randomized design with three replications was used in this experiment. Plants grown on irrigated bean straw demonstrated a high rate of soil cover, which may be related to the increased availability of nutrients left by this culture in the straw and the largest water reserve in the soil, promoted by irrigation of beans. The level and millet grown on the millet straw and jack-bean had the lowest rate of coverage among the plants valuated. In the region southern of Minas Gerais, the precipitation pattern is predominant duirng October to March, with an increase in December and January. In this period the soil should be protected from raindrop impact, because the risk of erosion is greater. Thus, the use of cover crops is of great importance, because they protect the soil from direct impact of raindrops and reduce temperature peaks of the soil, since they must be grown, preferably on the bean straw.