Physicochemical properties variation in response to the establishment of various agricultural activities in luvisoles of the north mountains of Puebla

Abstract

In Mexico the soil degradation is a very serious problem that is accentuated in the mountainous zones of the country, as in the case of the North Mountain range of Puebla that presents productive Luvisoles, in where they have established agriculture with bad practices of handling, causing negative impacts in the quality of the soil. The objective was to know the state present of physic-chemic properties of the luvisoles of this region. The Methodology consisted of selecting parcels destined to diverse agricultural activities taking like reference the primary forest, collecting samples in the following depths 0-10cm, of 10-20cm and 20-30cm. Analyzing the apparent density, breathing and infiltration in situ and in laboratory: Texture, organic Matter (M.O.), real Density, Porosity, total Nitrogen, Ca, Na, K, Mg, pH, electrical conductivity, and capacity of catiónico interchange (CIC). The parcels of coffee with shade, without shade and pastizal, showed a predominance of argillaceous fractions, that increase in the density caused and therefore, diminution of the porous space; nevertheless, the pastizal showed an accelerated deterioration reflected in the M.O., breathing, infiltration and CIC. In resistance the soil under maize were less disturbed when obtaining a high percentage of M.O and porosity, favoring the microbial breathing. The soil with the best quality are those of primary forest and secondary to present one better texture, greater percentage of M.O and porosity and therefore low values of density, also CIC and the electrical conductivity they were low like the rest of the parcels.