Resumen

ESTRADA-HERRERA, I. Rayo et al. Soil quality indicators to evaluate soil fertility. Agrociencia [online]. 2017, vol.51, n.8, pp.813-831. ISSN 2521-9766.

The Mixteca Alta Oaxaqueña, Mexico (MAO), presents moderate to severe levels of soil degradation. Water and wind erosion are the main causes of this degradation, with soil losses between 50 and 200 Mg ha-1 year-1 and in some areas may be higher. Soil quality indicators (SQI) are useful tools for assessing the status of soil fertility and its degradation. The objective of this study was to generate (univariate) quality indicators whose values, included within a single scale, allow to evaluate the soil fertility of the MAO and place them on a thematic map of degradation. The hypotheses were: 1) the attributes evaluated in this study function as SQI, and 2) the SQI values that vary within a single scale allow to compare the states that these attributes maintain. The value of the indicators will allow to propose corrective actions of the agronomic management of the soils and avoid their degradation. This proposal is easy to implement, of low cost, fast generation, can use information available in the literature and support regional public policies. The chemical and physicochemical attributes evaluated were: pH, organic matter (OM), extractable P (Pex), exchange bases (Ca, Mg and K), effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC); plus a biological one, the carbon in microbial biomass (CBM). With these attributes, quality indicators, soil quality and soil quality classes were defined in agricultural and degraded sites in five localities of the MAO: Tonaltepec, Gavillera, Cerro Prieto, Nduayaco and Pericón, where there was support from the community. Sampling was completely randomized. The sites from where the samples were obtained to generate the SQI were georeferenced and located on a thematic map of degradation types. The values of the indicators and the quality classes generated evidenced the precarious state of fertility of the MAO soils. Its use will allow to propose corrective measures to improve the current fertility of soils and avoid further degradation.

Palabras llave : soil quality indicators; degraded soils; soil fertility; Mixteca Alta Oaxaqueña.

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