Abstract

GEISSERT, Daniel; MOLGORA-TAPIA, Ana; NEGRETE-YANKELEVICH, Simoneta  and  HUNTER MANSON, Robert. Effect of vegetation cover management on water erosion in shade coffee plantations. Agrociencia [online]. 2017, vol.51, n.2, pp.119-133. ISSN 2521-9766.

Studies on management of weed cover have shown that chapeo (cutting with a machete) helps control soil erosion in coffee plantations located on slopes. However, a growing number of coffee producers prefer to use herbicides to lower the cost of weed control, not knowing whether this change in practice may increase soil erosion and decrease long-term productivity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between plant cover (trees, coffee bushes, herbaceous plants, and litterfall) and soil erosion rates, and to quantify the effects of both chapeo and herbicides in four shade coffee plantations in central Veracruz, Mexico. On each farm, three blocks, each with three rectangular 8×4 m plots were established. Soil erosion was measured with seven stakes per plot from May 2012 to April 2013. Negative values were assigned to soil loss and positive values to sedimentation. The degree of tree cover was measured in July 2012 and that of herbaceous plants, litterfall, and bare soil in March 2013. Average annual net erosion was -33.5±38.6 Mg ha-1 in the control plots, -34.1±33.8 Mg ha-1 in chapeo plots, and -20.0±32.1 Mg ha-1 in herbicide treated plots. A mixed linear model through maximum likelihood indicated that only the herbaceous plant cover had a reducing effect on the net erosion rate, while tree cover had the opposite effect. Herbicide application increased erosion on only two farms, and therefore its effect was not conclusive. The study contributed to understanding erosion in shade coffee plantations with variable management of plant cover.

Keywords : Agroforestry; coffee; erosion; mixed linear model.

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