Impacto de la roturacion y del manejo agronomico de un tepetate sobre su estructura | Impact of mechanical fragmentation and agronomical management on the structure of tepetate
2003
Prat, C. | Ordaz, Ch., V. | Rugama U., J.A.
Pressure to open up land to agriculture and the social problems existing in areas where 'tepetates' protrude to the surface of the soil, plus the physical limitations to its use in agriculture and forestry, have made it necessary to rehabilitate these areas. An experiment was conducted to test methods of improving the properties of recently fragmented tepetate for agricultural use. Mechanical fragmentation has been done since 1992 by the French institution ORSTOM (now IRD) and the Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillo, Mexico, in the community of San Miguel Tlaixpan, municipality of Texcoco, state of Mexico. The experimental design used was completely random with three replications. The treatments were 1) natural, protruded tepetate, 2) tepetate mechanically fragmented at a depth of 60 cm and cultivated with crops in association, 3) tepetate mechanically fragmented at 40 cm cultivated with a single crop, 4) tepetate mechanically fragmented at 40 cm with monoculture in association and fertilized with manure 20 t ha(-1) yr(-1), 5) tepetate mechanically fragmented at 40 cm cultivated under crops in association, 6) tepetate mechanically fragmented at 40 cm cultivated with crops in association with minimum tillage, and 7) farm land. The variables used were physical characteristics and production of CO2. The results showed that after four years of mechanical fragmentation, bulk density was reduced by aggregate formation and improved porosity resulting from agglutination of fragments. The production of CO2 was higher in worked tepetates than in those that were unaltered, thus making biological activity evident.
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