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Soil Quality Indexing Strategies for Evaluating Sugarcane Expansion in Brazil

Author

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  • Maurício R Cherubin
  • Douglas L Karlen
  • Carlos E P Cerri
  • André L C Franco
  • Cássio A Tormena
  • Christian A Davies
  • Carlos C Cerri

Abstract

Increasing demand for biofuel has intensified land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) expansion in Brazil. Assessments of soil quality (SQ) response to this LUC are essential for quantifying and monitoring sustainability of sugarcane production over time. Since there is not a universal methodology for assessing SQ, we conducted a field-study at three sites within the largest sugarcane-producing region of Brazil to develop a SQ index (SQI). The most common LUC scenario (i.e., native vegetation to pasture to sugarcane) was evaluated using six SQI strategies with varying complexities. Thirty eight soil indicators were included in the total dataset. Two minimum datasets were selected: one using principal component analysis (7 indicators) and the other based on expert opinion (5 indicators). Non-linear scoring curves were used to interpret the indicator values. Weighted and non-weighted additive methods were used to combine individual indicator scores into an overall SQI. Long-term conversion from native vegetation to extensive pasture significantly decreased overall SQ. In contrast, conversion from pasture to sugarcane had no significant impact on overall SQ at the regional scale, but site-specific responses were found. In general, sugarcane production improved chemical attributes (i.e., higher macronutrient levels and lower soil acidity); however it has negative effects on physical and biological attributes (i.e., higher soil compaction and structural degradation as well as lower soil organic carbon (SOC), abundance and diversity of macrofauna and microbial activity). Overall, we found that simple, user-friendly strategies were as effective as more complex ones for identifying SQ changes. Therefore, as a protocol for SQ assessments in Brazilian sugarcane areas, we recommend using a small number of indicators (e.g., pH, P, K, Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure -VESS scores and SOC concentration) and proportional weighting to reflect chemical, physical and biological processes within the soil. Our SQ evaluations also suggest that current approaches for expanding Brazilian sugarcane production by converting degraded pasture land to cropland can be a sustainable strategy for meeting increasing biofuel demand. However, management practices that alleviate negative impacts on soil physical and biological indicators must be prioritized within sugarcane producing areas to prevent unintentional SQ degradation over time.

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  • Maurício R Cherubin & Douglas L Karlen & Carlos E P Cerri & André L C Franco & Cássio A Tormena & Christian A Davies & Carlos C Cerri, 2016. "Soil Quality Indexing Strategies for Evaluating Sugarcane Expansion in Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-26, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0150860
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150860
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Goldemberg, José & Mello, Francisco F.C. & Cerri, Carlos E.P. & Davies, Christian A. & Cerri, Carlos C., 2014. "Meeting the global demand for biofuels in 2021 through sustainable land use change policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 14-18.
    2. Francisco F. C. Mello & Carlos E. P. Cerri & Christian A. Davies & N. Michele Holbrook & Keith Paustian & Stoécio M. F. Maia & Marcelo V. Galdos & Martial Bernoux & Carlos C. Cerri, 2014. "Payback time for soil carbon and sugar-cane ethanol," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(7), pages 605-609, July.
    3. Atanu Mukherjee & Rattan Lal, 2014. "Comparison of Soil Quality Index Using Three Methods," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-15, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zakir Hussain & Limei Deng & Xuan Wang & Rongyang Cui & Gangcai Liu, 2022. "A Review of Farmland Soil Health Assessment Methods: Current Status and a Novel Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Turetta, Ana Paula Dias & Kuyper, Thomas & Malheiros, Tadeu Fabrício & Coutinho, Heitor Luiz da Costa, 2017. "A framework proposal for sustainability assessment of sugarcane in Brazil," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 597-603.
    3. Oliveira, Dener M.S. & Cherubin, Maurício R. & Franco, André L.C. & Santos, Augusto S. & Gelain, Jaquelini G. & Dias, Naissa M.S. & Diniz, Tatiana R. & Almeida, Alexandre N. & Feigl, Brigitte J. & Dav, 2019. "Is the expansion of sugarcane over pasturelands a sustainable strategy for Brazil's bioenergy industry?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 346-355.
    4. Maurício Roberto Cherubin & João Luís Nunes Carvalho & Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri & Luiz Augusto Horta Nogueira & Glaucia Mendes Souza & Heitor Cantarella, 2021. "Land Use and Management Effects on Sustainable Sugarcane-Derived Bioenergy," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Jianfei Shi & Wenting Qian & Zhibin Zhou & Zhengzhong Jin & Xinwen Xu, 2023. "Influence of Acid Mine Drainage Leakage from Tailings Ponds on the Soil Quality of Desert Steppe in the Northwest Arid Region of China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
    6. Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri & Carlos Clemente Cerri & Stoécio Malta Ferreira Maia & Maurício Roberto Cherubin & Brigitte Josefine Feigl & Rattan Lal, 2018. "Reducing Amazon Deforestation through Agricultural Intensification in the Cerrado for Advancing Food Security and Mitigating Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, March.
    7. Laís Coutinho Zayas Jimenez & Hermano Melo Queiroz & Maurício Roberto Cherubin & Tiago Osório Ferreira, 2022. "Applying the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) to Assess Mangrove Soil Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-12, March.
    8. Silva-Olaya, Adriana M. & Ortíz-Morea, Fausto A. & España-Cetina, Gina P. & Olaya-Montes, Andrés & Grados, Daniel & Gasparatos, Alexandros & Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto, 2022. "Composite index for soil-related ecosystem services assessment: Insights from rainforest-pasture transitions in the Colombian Amazon," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    9. Camila Viana Vieira Farhate & Zigomar Menezes de Souza & Maurício Roberto Cherubin & Lenon Herique Lovera & Ingrid Nehmi de Oliveira & Marina Pedroso Carneiro & Newton La Scala Jr., 2020. "Abiotic Soil Health Indicators that Respond to Sustainable Management Practices in Sugarcane Cultivation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-19, November.
    10. Oliveira, Ingrid Nehmi de & de Souza, Zigomar Menezes & Lovera, Lenon Henrique & Farhate, Camila Viana Vieira & Lima, Elizeu de Souza & Esteban, Diego Alexander Aguilera & Totti, Maria Cecilia Vieira, 2020. "Capacitance probe calibration for an Ultisol Udult cultivated with sugarcane by soil tillages," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    11. Sophia Dobkowitz & Ariane Walz & Gabriele Baroni & Aldrin M. Pérez-Marin, 2020. "Cross-Scale Vulnerability Assessment for Smallholder Farming: A Case Study from the Northeast of Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-24, May.

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