Gestion de la variation de la qualité des sols par les agriculteurs : enjeux pour la rentabilité et la durabilité des exploitations agricoles françaisesLa qualité des sols constitue un enjeu majeur en termes d’environnement et de préservation du potentiel agronomique et économique des exploitations agricoles. Les pratiques agricoles ont des impacts sur la qualité des sols, dont certains entraînent une dégradation des sols et mènent à une réduction de leur productivité. La thèse a pour objectif de caractériser et d'éclairer les enjeux économiques de moyen et long terme de la variation de la qualité des sols en mobilisant des outils théoriques, statistiques et empiriques. Nous tentons, en simulant différents scénarios économiques, d’identifier les leviers permettant de préserver le potentiel des sols. Nous utilisons un modèle dynamique de contrôle optimal où l'agent-agriculteur rationnel maximise son profit dans le temps sous contrainte de la dynamique de la qualité des sols.Il y a deux facteurs de production : les intrants productifs (tels les engrais minéraux azotés) et la qualité du sol, capturée par sa matière organique (MO). La qualité du sol est impactée par les intrants productifs utilisés par l'agriculteur, qui peut investir dans la qualité de ses sols via l'utilisation des résidus de culture, l'intensité de labour et les choix des rotations. Nos résultats montrent que l'investissement dans la qualité des sols fait partie d'une stratégie optimale de l'agriculteur qui, face à l'augmentation des prix des engrais et de l'énergie, substitue ainsi les fonctionnalités / Soil quality is a major issue for the environment and the preservation of the agronomic and economic potential of farms. Farming practices have substantial impacts on soil quality; some are detrimental and lead to a long-term decrease in productivity. The objective of this thesis is to characterize the mid-term and long-term economic issues related to soil quality changes using theoretical, statistical and empirical tools and to propose a dynamic bioeconomic model that highlights these issues. Using the simulations of different economic scenarios, we seek to identify the levers that make it possible to preserve the agronomic and economic potential of soil. The model used is a dynamic optimal control model where the rational agent-farmer with perfect information maximizes his profits over time under a soil quality dynamics constraint. We consider two production factors: productive inputs (such as mineral nitrogen fertilizers) and soil quality, captured by the quantity of soil organic mSoil quality is negatively impacted by the productive inputs used by the farmer, who can invest in his soil quality (crop residue use, tillage intensity, crop rotation choice). Our results show that soil quality investment is a component of the farmer's optimal strategy. The farmer substitutes the ecosystemic functionalities of his soil for chemical inputs in response to the increase in fertilizers and energy prices. However, the mitigated results of our empirical model in terms of SOM final values show the importance of considering a large range of farming practices. Our results offer a ba

This study uses the Simplified International Model of agricultural Prices, Land use and the Environment, on a Grid (SIMPLE-G­), a partial equilibrium model of agricultural production, to explore how the scale and scope of environmental quality markets influence farm-level production decisions and market performance. I simulate how permit trading affects producers’ input use decisions, and ultimately pollution emissions, by modifying the supply nest structure of the model to include water quality permits as an additional output from agricultural production. Conservation practices improving water quality may also result in ecosystem co-benefits (e.g., reduced greenhouse gas emissions and habitat provision). Hence, I extend SIMPLE-G to quantify these co-benefits and simulate the effects of allowing conservationist producers to “stack” permits (i.e., to supply multiple permit types for each co-benefit). I find that, overall, permit production increases with the scale and scope of the markets. <a>At the smallest market size</a>—which allows trading only within 8-digit hydrological unit code watersheds—unintended policy implications arise as the stacked markets cause one conservation practice to crowd out the other. Meanwhile, the largest market—which allows trading across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed—produces nitrogen permits more efficiently which may lead to less of the secondary permits in comparison to other market configurations. The results of this study support the Environmental Protection Agency’s urging of the expansion of the scale and scope of ecosystem markets.

The field of Landscape Architecture can further develop a niche for the design of sustainable productive landscapes. This study attempts to understand a major stakeholders’ perceptions and use of riparian buffers and other conservation practices for water quality in an agricultural watershed of Mississippi. A survey was distributed to agricultural producers in the Big Sunflower Watershed of the MS Delta. The survey informs the interested parties of producers’ perceptions and uses of riparian forested buffers, perceptions and uses of conservation practices that restore water quality, perceptions of their environment, perceptions of surface water quality, enrollment of governmental incentive programs, and utilization of digital technology. Analysis of this data could lead to a better understanding of the knowledge and attitudes farmers have of the riparian systems and watershed processes at work within the region and factors that influence the farmers’ decisions of implementing conservation plans.

This study investigates the impact on water quality of combined agricultural best management practices cover crop and minimum tillage, alongside an examination of techniques used to collect those samples. Edge-of-field (EOF) water quality samples were collected from 11 working farms during a two-year paired field experiment. Results showed significant reductions in nutrient concentrations, increased discharge, and mixed findings regarding nutrient mass transport post-treatment. A suite of EOF collection techniques were compared using in-situ automated water sampling systems sampling the same runoff events. Sampling protocols influenced nutrient concentrations in composite samples, but unexpected variance in velocity sensors affected measured discharge, making it challenging to confidently attribute differences in nutrient loading estimates to sampling protocol. The findings provide regionally specific evidence for mitigating on-farm nutrient enrichment in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and enhancing monitoring techniques.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-12-14T13:49:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Gedielson Ozório Pinto_.pdf: 1509977 bytes, checksum: 57669947b8ee5dd3d0b7d9e539addc15 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-14T13:49:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gedielson Ozório Pinto_.pdf: 1509977 bytes, checksum: 57669947b8ee5dd3d0b7d9e539addc15 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-20 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Um dos principais desafios de produtores de soja é a conciliação entre bons desempenhos econômicos de curto prazo com bons desempenhos ambientais e econômicos a longo prazo. Sendo assim, é imprescindível pensar na sustentabilidade das empresas agrícolas levando em conta o aspecto temporal. Neste sentido, verifica-se que a necessidade por apresentar bons resultados imediatos pode acabar induzindo o produtor rural a ignorar algumas práticas conservacionistas importantes no cultivo da soja que podem gerar resultados positivos tanto ambientais quanto econômicos ao longo do tempo. Sendo assim, este trabalho buscou realizar uma análise da relação entre as práticas conservacionistas utilizadas na produção da soja e as tensões intertemporais referentes à sustentabilidade inerentes à atividade agrícola. Para isto, foi estimado o nível de eficiência que uma amostra de 40 produtores de soja obtivera na safra de 2016/2017 através da análise envoltória de dados (DEA), bem como, foram identificadas algumas práticas gerenciais dos produtores benchmark e analisados os alvos e folgas dos produtores ineficientes. Através do teste Mann-Whitney, foi verificado o comportamento dos escores de eficiências obtidos para cada produtor de soja mediante a adoção de práticas conservacionistas. Foi possível observar que a eficiência técnica daqueles produtores que adotaram as práticas conservacionistas foi significativamente superior à aqueles que não adotaram estas práticas em seu processo de produção. Deste modo, os achados deste trabalho podem sinalizar que, através do uso destas práticas conservacionistas na produção da soja, é possível reduzir as tensões existentes entre decisões de curto e de longo prazo, visto que, além dos resultados econômicos e ambientais, existe a possibilidade de aumentar significativamente o nível de eficiência técnica na produção da soja, reduzindo insumos e minimizando impactos ambientais de longo prazo, maximizando, assim, os resultados econômicos de curto prazo. / One of the main challenges for soy producers can be the reconciliation between good short-term economic performance with good long-term environmental and economic performance. Therefore, it is essential to think about the sustainability of agricultural companies considering the temporal aspect. In this way, it is verified that the necessity to present good immediate results can carry through inducing the rural producer to ignore some important conservation practices in the cultivation of the soybean, that can generate positive results both environmental and economic over time. Thus, this project searched to analyze the relationship between conservation practices used in soybean production and the intertemporal tensions related to sustainability inherent to agricultural activity. For this, it was estimated the level of efficiency that 40 soybean producers worked in the 2016/2017 harvest through the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). From the Mann-Whitney test, it was verified the behavior of the efficiency scores obtained for each soy producer through the adoption of conservation practices. It was possible to observe a significantly greater difference in the technical efficiency of those producers who adopted conservation practices than those who did not adopt these practices in their production process. Thus, the findings of this project may indicate that through the use of these conservation practices in the production of soybeans it is possible to reduce the tensions existing between short and long term decisions, given that, besides the economic and environmental results, there is a possibility to increase significantly the level of technical efficiency in soy production, reducing inputs and minimizing long-term environmental impacts, thus maximizing short-term economic results.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:23:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 2293036 bytes, checksum: 81e846210ecdd5ef447223d350af2e3b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-12 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Besides their fundamental role in Brazilian economy, the unpaved roads have a highly important social role, since they allow for the access of the rural population to their basic needs such as health, education, leisure and work, that frequently are available only in the urban centers. So, taking into account that the main cause of degradation in the roads is the erosion caused by the concentration of the runoff along them, a model was developed for determination of the volume required for the accumulation basin addressed to store the water from runoff of the unpaved roads. The model was based on the principle that a daily analysis of the volume flowed in each event of the precipitation series is a more coherent criterion for dimensioning the accumulation basins, since the accumulative effect from the precipitations successively occurring in the series is considered. The model uses the synthetic rainfall data to obtaining the daily series of the flowed volumes, whereas the daily balance of the volume stored in the basin is accomplished with this series. The highest value obtained in each year is identified from the series of the stored volumes. So, an annual series of the highest volumes stored in the basin is created. Then, the Gumbel distribution is applied to this series in order to obtaining the volume required for the accumulation basin (VB). According to results, the following conclusions were drawn: for the lowest Tiebac value, the time needed for the water stored in the basin to infiltrate totally into soil is longer, therefore the accumulative effect of the precipitation events are more accentuated and, consequently, higher the VB value will be. When comparing the data obtained by the developed model with those of the model proposed by Griebeler et al. (2005), it was verified that, for the Tiebac equal to 2mm h-1, the VB values obtained by the developed model were always higher than those obtained by the model proposed by Griebeler et al. (2005), and an increased difference occurred with the increase in the return period (T). For the lowest values of Tiebac, the increase in the VB values from the increased T was, in general, proportionally higher for the model proposed by Griebeler et al. (2005) than for the developed model. / As estradas não pavimentadas, além de exercerem um papel fundamental na economia brasileira, possuem uma atribuição de grande importância social, que é permitir o acesso da população rural às necessidades básicas da sociedade como saúde, educação, lazer e trabalho, que muita das vezes estão disponíveis apenas nos centros urbanos. Tendo em vista que o principal causador da degradação das estradas é a erosão causada pela concentração de escoamento superficial ao longo destas, desenvolveu-se um modelo para a determinação do volume requerido para a bacia de acumulação destinada ao armazenamento do escoamento superficial provindo de estradas não pavimentadas. O modelo se baseou no princípio de que uma análise dia a dia do volume escoado em cada evento da série de precipitação é um critério mais coerente para o dimensionamento de bacias de acumulação, uma vez que é considerado o efeito acumulativo de precipitações que ocorrem de forma sucessiva na série. O modelo utiliza dados sintéticos de precipitação para a obtenção de uma série diária de volumes escoados, com a qual é realizado o balanço diário do volume armazenado na bacia. A partir da série de volumes armazenados é identificado o maior valor obtido em cada ano e, assim, é criada uma série anual de volumes máximos armazenados na bacia, à qual é aplicada a distribuição de Gumbel para a obtenção do volume requerido para a bacia de acumulação (VB). De acordo com os resultados obtidos verificou-se que, para as menores Tiebac, o tempo necessário para que a água armazenada na bacia infiltre totalmente no solo é maior, desta forma mais acentuado é o efeito acumulativo dos eventos de precipitação e, conseqüentemente, maior o valor de VB. Comparando os dados obtidos pelo modelo desenvolvido com os do modelo proposto por Griebeler et al. (2005) verificou-se que, para a Tiebac de 2 mm h-1, os valores de VB obtidos pelo modelo desenvolvido foram sempre maiores do que os valores obtidos pelo modelo proposto por Griebeler et al. (2005) e que a diferença aumentou com o aumento do período de retorno (T). Observou-se ainda que, para os menores valores de Tiebac, o aumento dos valores de VB a partir do aumento de T foi, em geral, proporcionalmente maior para o modelo proposto por Griebeler et al. (2005) do que para o modelo desenvolvido.

<p dir="ltr">In the Midwest, tile drainage is used to lower water tables and remove excess water from the soil to improve crop production. This network of underground pipes (i.e., tiles) and expansive agriculture also increases nutrient export, contributing to ecological harm in local lakes and rivers and further downstream in the Gulf of Mexico. Conservation practices that avoid, control, or trap nutrients can mitigate these losses, but studies quantifying their impact at the watershed scale are challenging. This work uses water quality monitoring data collected throughout the Midwest to identify potential nutrient sources and pathways, the hydroclimatic variables influencing them, and the effects of conservation practices. In a study in northeast Indiana, nutrient travel times for total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon were observed to be faster during winter storm events, likely due to a lack of vegetative processes. Tile drains were the primary contributor to in-stream nitrogen and phosphorus during spring storms but were not a primary contributor for phosphorus in the winter. Data from nitrate sensors across the Midwest were used to quantify the effect of sampling frequency on hysteresis and flushing indices, showing that sampling intervals greater than 8 hours estimates could lead to inaccurate values, and that caution should be used when interpreting outcomes when using longer sampling intervals. Wet antecedent conditions were associated with a dilution pattern of nitrate during storm events, and tile drainage exacerbates this by causing greater leaching during wet periods. A systematic review of water quality monitoring studies at the watershed scale showed the limits using current data, and suggested how providing better statistics could be used to facilitate a more robust meta-analysis to determine effect sizes and sources of heterogeneity among studies. In a monitoring study located in the central Indiana, agricultural conservation practices reduced nitrate concentrations by 27% in an artificially drained watershed. While tile drainage is a critical pathway for nutrients in the Midwest, the combined effect of various conservation practices can improve water quality at the watershed scale.</p>

Corn (Zea mays L.) intercropped with Brachiaria spp. plays an important role in tropical agriculture management, providing residues or forage to areas intensively cropped. Although previous studies provide useful information about effects of intercropping on soil management and crop yield, a better understanding of how corn-Brachiaria intercropping systems impacts exogenous and endogenous nutrient dynamic is needed. Two experiments were performed in the both conventional and late planting season. In the first, corn and palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) monoculture were compared with two intercropping patterns, directed for production of residues or forage, with simulated animal grazing. Biomass, crop nitrogen (N) content, N derived from fertilizer and N budget were measured. Among farming systems, variable responses remained almost unchanged during period of simultaneous growth. After corn harvest, intercropping patterns achieved greater biomass (0.6-11 Mg ha-1) and N content (12-318 kg ha-1) relative to fallow preceded by corn monoculture, but it results in overall gains (pre and post-harvest) only to conventional planting season. N fertilizer recovery was not affected by intercropping patterns. When corn and Brachiaria were intercropped to establish pasture, simulated grazing after grain harvest had a tightly influence on N budget, approximately -221 kg ha-1. The second experiment investigated the influence of Brachiaria species on corn nutrients partitioning and their cycling after corn harvest. Biomass, N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content were evaluated using corn intercropped with three species of Brachiaria (B. Brizantha cv Marandu, B. ruziziensis, and B. hybrid cultivar Mulato II, Convert HD 36) and corn monoculture. Biomass and nutrient content was not affect when corn was intercropped with Brachiaria species. After corn harvest, Brachiaria nutrient content and biomass yield were ranking from greater to lower following the order: B. brizantha > B. ruziziensis > B. convert. Relative with the corn monoculture, intercropping treatments enhanced the total biomass (corn + Brachiaria) and the nutrient accumulation only when planted at conventional season. Over 6 site-yr, benefits of intercropping appear after corn harvest, particularly at conventional planting season. Corn intercropped with Brachiaria species either had no effect N fertilizer recovery or affect N-fertilizer distribution within components of soil-plant system. Nonetheless, intercropping provide greater biomass accumulation after harvest compared with corn monoculture, resulting in larger nutrient content stored in plant component. Our results suggest a larger N requirements when crop-livestock activities was integrated. Corn intercropped with B. brizantha during conventional season was the best approach to enhanced crop yield and nutrient cycle for corn production systems. / O consórcio entre milho (Zea mays L) e espécies de Brachiaria spp. (syn. Urochloa spp.) desempenha importante função no manejo da agricultura tropical, produzir resíduos ou forragem em áreas intensivamente cultivadas. Apesar de estudos anteriores fornecerem valiosas informações sobre efeitos do consórcio sobre o manejo do solo e produção de biomassa, um melhor entendimento de como este sistema de cultivo afeta a dinâmica de nutrientes (exógenos ou endógeno) é necessário. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos durante a safra e segunda safra. No primeiro, os monocultivos de milho e braquiária (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) foram comparados com dois padrões de consórcio, direcionado a produção de resíduos ou forragem, com simulação do pastejo animal. Biomassa, acúmulo de nitrogênio (N), N- fertilizante e balanço de N foram avaliados. As variáveis respostas praticamente não foram afetadas pelos sistemas de cultivos durante o período de coexistência. Após a colheita do milho, os sistemas consórciados acumularam mais biomassa (0,6 -11 Mg ha-1) e N (12-318 kg ha-1) comparado ao pousio precedido pelo monocultivo de milho, apesar destes incrementos afetarem apenas o acúmulos totais (pré+pós-colheita) do cultivo de safra. A recuperação do N-fertilizante foi semelhante entre os sitemas de cultivo. Quando o consórcio objetivou a implantação de pasto, o pastejo simulado após a colheita do milho influênciou o balanço de N, com deficit de aproximadamente -221 kg ha-1.O segundo experimento foi conduzido para investigar a influência das espécies de Brachiaria sobre o particionamento de nutrientes no milho e a ciclagem pós-colheita de grãos. Produção de biomassa, quantidades de N, fósforo (P) e postássio (K) acumuladas foram avaliadas no monocultivo de milho e em três espécies de Brachiaria spp. (B. Brizantha cv Marandu, B. ruziziensis, and B. hibrido cultivar Mulato II, Convert HD 36) em consórcio com milho. Biomassa e acúmulo de nutrientes não foram afetados no consórcio do milho com as espécies de Brachiaria. Após a colheita do milho, o acúmulo de biomassa e nutrientes das espéceis de braquiária classificadas em ordem decrescente foram: B. brizantha > B. ruziziensis > B. convert. Comparado ao monocultivo de milho, o consórcio aumentou a biomassa total (milho+braquiária) e o acúmulo de nutrientes apenas quando cultivado na safra. Entre os 6 locais/anos, os benefícios do consórcio ocorreu após acolheita do milho, especialmente para o cultivo de safra. O milho consorciado com espécies de Brachiaria não afetou a recuperação do N-fertilizante nem sua distribuição nos componentes do sistema solo-planta. Entretanto, o consórcio proporcionou maior acúmulo de biomassa após a colheita do milho se comparado ao pousio precedido pelo monocultivo de milho, aumentando a porção de nutrientes alocados no compartimento planta do sistema. Nossos resultados sugerem que a integração entre atividades de lavoura e pastejo aumenta a demanda por N do sistema de produção. O consórcio entre milho e Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu no cultivo de safra foi a melhor estratégia para aumentar a produção de biomassa e a ciclagem de nutrientes no sistema de produção do milho.

Corn (Zea mays L.) intercropped with Brachiaria spp. plays an important role in tropical agriculture management, providing residues or forage to areas intensively cropped. Although previous studies provide useful information about effects of intercropping on soil management and crop yield, a better understanding of how corn-Brachiaria intercropping systems impacts exogenous and endogenous nutrient dynamic is needed. Two experiments were performed in the both conventional and late planting season. In the first, corn and palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) monoculture were compared with two intercropping patterns, directed for production of residues or forage, with simulated animal grazing. Biomass, crop nitrogen (N) content, N derived from fertilizer and N budget were measured. Among farming systems, variable responses remained almost unchanged during period of simultaneous growth. After corn harvest, intercropping patterns achieved greater biomass (0.6-11 Mg ha-1) and N content (12-318 kg ha-1) relative to fallow preceded by corn monoculture, but it results in overall gains (pre and post-harvest) only to conventional planting season. N fertilizer recovery was not affected by intercropping patterns. When corn and Brachiaria were intercropped to establish pasture, simulated grazing after grain harvest had a tightly influence on N budget, approximately -221 kg ha-1. The second experiment investigated the influence of Brachiaria species on corn nutrients partitioning and their cycling after corn harvest. Biomass, N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content were evaluated using corn intercropped with three species of Brachiaria (B. Brizantha cv Marandu, B. ruziziensis, and B. hybrid cultivar Mulato II, Convert HD 36) and corn monoculture. Biomass and nutrient content was not affect when corn was intercropped with Brachiaria species. After corn harvest, Brachiaria nutrient content and biomass yield were ranking from greater to lower following the order: B. brizantha > B. ruziziensis > B. convert. Relative with the corn monoculture, intercropping treatments enhanced the total biomass (corn + Brachiaria) and the nutrient accumulation only when planted at conventional season. Over 6 site-yr, benefits of intercropping appear after corn harvest, particularly at conventional planting season. Corn intercropped with Brachiaria species either had no effect N fertilizer recovery or affect N-fertilizer distribution within components of soil-plant system. Nonetheless, intercropping provide greater biomass accumulation after harvest compared with corn monoculture, resulting in larger nutrient content stored in plant component. Our results suggest a larger N requirements when crop-livestock activities was integrated. Corn intercropped with B. brizantha during conventional season was the best approach to enhanced crop yield and nutrient cycle for corn production systems. / O consórcio entre milho (Zea mays L) e espécies de Brachiaria spp. (syn. Urochloa spp.) desempenha importante função no manejo da agricultura tropical, produzir resíduos ou forragem em áreas intensivamente cultivadas. Apesar de estudos anteriores fornecerem valiosas informações sobre efeitos do consórcio sobre o manejo do solo e produção de biomassa, um melhor entendimento de como este sistema de cultivo afeta a dinâmica de nutrientes (exógenos ou endógeno) é necessário. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos durante a safra e segunda safra. No primeiro, os monocultivos de milho e braquiária (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) foram comparados com dois padrões de consórcio, direcionado a produção de resíduos ou forragem, com simulação do pastejo animal. Biomassa, acúmulo de nitrogênio (N), N- fertilizante e balanço de N foram avaliados. As variáveis respostas praticamente não foram afetadas pelos sistemas de cultivos durante o período de coexistência. Após a colheita do milho, os sistemas consórciados acumularam mais biomassa (0,6 -11 Mg ha-1) e N (12-318 kg ha-1) comparado ao pousio precedido pelo monocultivo de milho, apesar destes incrementos afetarem apenas o acúmulos totais (pré+pós-colheita) do cultivo de safra. A recuperação do N-fertilizante foi semelhante entre os sitemas de cultivo. Quando o consórcio objetivou a implantação de pasto, o pastejo simulado após a colheita do milho influênciou o balanço de N, com deficit de aproximadamente -221 kg ha-1.O segundo experimento foi conduzido para investigar a influência das espécies de Brachiaria sobre o particionamento de nutrientes no milho e a ciclagem pós-colheita de grãos. Produção de biomassa, quantidades de N, fósforo (P) e postássio (K) acumuladas foram avaliadas no monocultivo de milho e em três espécies de Brachiaria spp. (B. Brizantha cv Marandu, B. ruziziensis, and B. hibrido cultivar Mulato II, Convert HD 36) em consórcio com milho. Biomassa e acúmulo de nutrientes não foram afetados no consórcio do milho com as espécies de Brachiaria. Após a colheita do milho, o acúmulo de biomassa e nutrientes das espéceis de braquiária classificadas em ordem decrescente foram: B. brizantha > B. ruziziensis > B. convert. Comparado ao monocultivo de milho, o consórcio aumentou a biomassa total (milho+braquiária) e o acúmulo de nutrientes apenas quando cultivado na safra. Entre os 6 locais/anos, os benefícios do consórcio ocorreu após acolheita do milho, especialmente para o cultivo de safra. O milho consorciado com espécies de Brachiaria não afetou a recuperação do N-fertilizante nem sua distribuição nos componentes do sistema solo-planta. Entretanto, o consórcio proporcionou maior acúmulo de biomassa após a colheita do milho se comparado ao pousio precedido pelo monocultivo de milho, aumentando a porção de nutrientes alocados no compartimento planta do sistema. Nossos resultados sugerem que a integração entre atividades de lavoura e pastejo aumenta a demanda por N do sistema de produção. O consórcio entre milho e Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu no cultivo de safra foi a melhor estratégia para aumentar a produção de biomassa e a ciclagem de nutrientes no sistema de produção do milho.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Land use alterations have been major drivers for modifying hydrologic cycles in many watersheds nationwide. Imbalances in this cycle have led to unexpected or extreme changes in flood and drought patterns and intensities, severe impairment of rivers and streams due to pollutants, and extensive economic losses to affected communities. Eagle Creek Watershed (ECW) is a typical Midwestern agricultural watershed with a growing urban land-use that has been affected by these problems. Structural solutions, such as ditches and tiles, have helped in the past to reduce the flooding problem in the upland agricultural area. But these structures have led to extensive flooding and water quality problems downstream and loss of moisture storage in the soil upstream. It has been suggested that re-naturalization of watershed hydrology via a spatially-distributed implementation of non-structural and structural conservation practices, such as cover crops, wetlands, riparian buffers, grassed waterways, etc. will help to reduce these problems by improving the upland runoff (storing water temporally as moisture in the soil or in depression storages). However, spatial implementation of these upland storage practices poses hurdles not only due to the large number of possible alternatives offered by physical models, but also by the effect of tenure, social attitudes, and behaviors of landowners that could further add complexities on whether and how these practices are adopted and effectively implemented for benefits. This study investigates (a) how landowner tenure and attitudes can be used to identify promising conservation practices in an agricultural watershed, (b) how the different attitudes and preferences of stakeholders can modify the effectiveness of solutions obtained via classic optimization approaches that do not include the influence of social attitudes in a watershed, and (c) how spatial distribution of landowner tenure affects the spatial optimization of conservation practices on a watershed scale. Results showed two main preferred practices, one for an economic evaluation (filter strips) and one for an environmental perspective (wetlands). A land tenure comparison showed differences in spatial distribution of systems considering all the conservation practices. It also was observed that cash renters selected practices will provide a better cost-revenue relation than the selected optimal solution.