Monitoring soil fertility attributes in agroecological system implemented in Agua Limpa Farm of Universidade de Brasília

Abstract

Conventional agriculture, mainly through the usage of pesticides, causes too much impact on
the environment and human health. Agroecosystems implanted with different design should be
studied to offers subsidies to agroecological farmers. An agroecological system was implanted
in the Agua Limpa Farm/UnB for research in agroecology and organic agriculture. One of the
strategies is the implementation of live green barriers surrounding the planting area. On this
study we opted by planting agroforestry barriers based on crops of bananas, eucalyptus, citrus,
papayas and coffee, sorted in three distinct arrangements. The goal was to monitor soil fertility
chemical attributes (organic matter, Calcium rates and pH levels) in an agroecological setting.
The fertility attributes analysed were either kept stable or improved during the agroecological
management. Preliminary results referring to the first summer/winter crop cycles are presented
here.