The management adopted in the establishment and replanting of sugarcane fields, with conventional tillage followed by fallow, is one of the main causes of soil quality degradation. In this context, the soil quality index (SQI) is an important tool to guide the use of more sustainable practices and management. This study aimed to monitor the effect of different cover crops in association with different tillage systems on sugarcane yield based on key indicators and an SQI developed using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF). The experiment was carried out on a sugarcane expansion area located in the municipality of Ibitinga, São Paulo, Brazil. The following soil physical and chemical attributes were analyzed: soil bulk density, macroaggregates, available phosphorus and potassium. Soil carbon content was also analyzed and used to calculate the SQI. Productivity over the 4 years of sugarcane cultivation was also analyzed. The use of subsoilers for soil tillage proved efficient in managing compaction by providing lower soil bulk density values in the first years of cultivation (1.59 and 1.63 g cm−3); however, these effects occurred in the short term with a 10% increase in later years. The use of millet in association with subsoiling showed the best results for soil quality (0.59), reflected in the maintenance of yields at 100 Mg ha−1 over time. Thus, our study reinforces the importance of using soil conservation systems in sugarcane replanting areas to achieve production longevity.

中文翻译：

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覆盖作物和耕作系统对土壤质量和甘蔗产量的影响

甘蔗地开垦补种所采取的先耕后休的管理方式，是造成土壤质量下降的主要原因之一。在此背景下，土壤质量指数（SQI）是指导使用更可持续的实践和管理的重要工具。本研究旨在根据关键指标和使用土壤管理评估框架 (SMAF) 开发的 SQI，监测不同覆盖作物与不同耕作系统对甘蔗产量的影响。该实验在巴西圣保罗伊比廷加市的甘蔗种植区进行。分析了以下土壤物理和化学属性：土壤容重、大团聚体、有效磷和有效钾。还分析了土壤碳含量并用于计算 SQI。还分析了 4 年甘蔗种植的生产力。事实证明，使用深松机进行土壤耕作可有效管理压实，在耕作的第一年提供较低的土壤容重值（1.59 和 1.63 g cm）−3）；然而，这些影响发生在短期内，并在以后的几年中增加了 10%。使用小米结合深松显示出土壤质​​量的最佳结果 (0.59)，这反映在产量维持在 100 毫克公顷−1随着时间的推移。因此，我们的研究强调了在甘蔗重新种植地区使用土壤保持系统以实现生产长寿的重要性。