Assessing the impact of soil use and management systems on soil health in Southern Brazil

• Published in: Geoderma Regional Vol. 40; p. e00932
• Main Authors: Becker, Regiane Kazmierczak, Galvão, Carolina Weigert, Etto, Rafael Mazer, Hyeda, Daiane, de Paula, Ariane Lentice, Schiebelbein, Luis Miguel, Giarola, Neyde Fabíola Balarezo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.2025
• Subjects: agricultural management; Brazil; bulk density; health effects assessments; microbial carbon; No-tillage; Pasture; pastures; phosphorus; potassium; secondary forests; Silvopastoral system; silvopastoral systems; soil; Soil conservation; Soil health indicators; Soil quality; species diversity; total organic carbon; Brazil; Soil health indicators; Soil quality; Silvopastoral system; No-tillage; Pasture; Soil conservation
• ISSN: 2352-0094; 2352-0094
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00932

The growing demand for adopting more sustainable agricultural management practices worldwide has prompted soil health assessment studies. In southern Brazil, there is a growing diversification in soil use and management systems. This study aimed to evaluate soil health under different soil use and management systems in this region using the Soil Management Assessment Framework. The study investigated secondary forest, no-tillage, and pasture across three mesoregions of Paraná State: West, Southwest, and Central East. Soil health was evaluated in the surface layer, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the effect of soil use and management on soil health. Scores for bulk density, water-filled pore space, pH, phosphorus, potassium, microbial biomass carbon, and β-glucosidase activity were sensitive to detecting changes in soil conditions. However, other indicators, such as macroaggregate stability and total organic carbon, need refined algorithms for regional adaptation. Differences in soil health among soil use and management were observed. Secondary forest generally maintained optimal soil health indices, with values above 0.86. No-tillage showed good soil health indices in the evaluated layer, with values above 0.80. Notably, no-tillage with organic agricultural systems and the application of organic residues appeared to contribute positively to soil health improvement, with indices reaching 0.86 and 0.89, respectively. Pastures, especially silvopasture, showed potential for improving soil health through plant diversity, achieving an index of 0.88. We suggest that future studies compare different soil health indices to improve algorithms for interpreting soil health indicators on a regional scale. •The Soil Management Assessment Framework distinguishes soil uses and management practices in southern Brazil.•Macroaggregate stability and total organic carbon highlight the need to refine algorithms for better soil health assessment.•Silvopastoral systems have demonstrated potential to enhance soil health by promoting plant diversity.•No-tillage combined with organic farming and organic residues positively impacts soil health.