ARCANGELO LOSS, Guilherme; Wilbert Ferreira; Jucinei José Comin (UFSC)
Soil conservation is a prominent theme for Brazil, given its role as agricultural power and diversity of biomes. However, inadequate soil management practices, deforestation and fragmented public policies have intensified the processes of soil degradation and erosion. National Soil and Water Conservation Day, celebrated on April 15, a date established by Federal Law No. 7,876, of November 13, 1989 (Brazil, 1989) to make the population aware of the importance of these natural resources essential to food and environmental security, was created in response to a growing scenario of environmental degradation.
In Brazil, where agriculture is fundamental to economy and food security, soils face serious risk of degradation. It is estimated that the country loses about 600-800 million tons of soil annually due to erosion, while 40% of water resources already have qualitative degradation in various regions of the country. This alarming situation requires urgent changes in agricultural practices, especially soil management and water resources.
Soil erosion brings with it a number of problems. With regard to the chemical quality of the soil, we can cite the loss of nutrients and organic matter. For soil physical quality, we have a decrease in soil profile thickness, compaction and siltation of lakes and rivers. For the biological quality of the soil, we can cite the decrease in soil life and macro and microfauna habitat loss. These factors, added to the water crisis, compromise, not only agricultural productivity, but also the sustainability of agroecosystems. The lack of conservation practices aggravates these effects, endangering the country’s ability to produce food efficiently and in harmony with the environment.
In the olericulture sector, these challenges are even greater. Vegetables, cultivated mainly by family farming – responsible for about 70% of food consumed in the country – depend on quality soils1 and water in adequate quantity and quality. However, conventional cultivation systems, which promote excessive soil revolving and the intensive use of highly soluble and pesticide inputs, have accelerated the degradation processes, threatening the economic and environmental viability of this activity.
Given this scenario, this text aims to present some challenges of soil preparation and conventional agriculture, and then the direct planting system (SPDH) as an effective tool for the transition from the conventional agroecological base model. By adopting practices such as restricted soil revolving, permanent soil coverage with high straw or living plants and crop rotation, SPDH emerges as a viable alternative to reduce erosion, improving ground quality and optimizing water use, ensuring greater resilience to production systems. In the following topics, the principles of this system, their benefits and the necessary steps to implement in different contexts of Brazilian olericulture are detailed.
- The challenges of conventional agriculture
In 2020, Brazilian vegetable production moved R $ 34.4 billion, occupying 1.6 million hectares and producing 33.1 million tons of product. Highlight for cassava, which leads in area (1.2 mi/ha) and production (18.2 mi/t), in economic value, followed by tomatoes and potatoes (IBGE 2017; 2020). These vegetables are mainly produced using the Conventional Soil Preparation System (SPC). This way of handling the soil has proved to be an unsustainable model in the face of current challenges. This system, based on the periodic soil mobilization through frequent range, gardens and scarifications, triggers a number of problems that compromise productivity and future viability of crops. Below, we highlight some of these problems.
a) Soil degradation
Excessive revolving breaks the natural structure of the soil, macroagregates, leaving the soil unprotected and vulnerable. Without vegetation cover, the superficial layers – the richest in nutrients and organic matter – are easily charged by rainfall via erosion – water or wind (Figure 1), for example – which nutritionally impoverishes the soil year after year. At the same time, the breaking of macroaggregates in micro -arts exposes organic matter that was previously protected, accelerating the process of mineralization by soil microorganisms. In addition, constant soil exposure to the incidence of sun rays and climate weather accelerates the loss of organic matter, an essential component for soil fertility and microbial activity. The result is a soil with superficial and increasingly compacted crusts, with lower water infiltration capacity and nutrient retention
b) water crisis
Soils degraded by conventional management quickly lose the ability to store water (Figure 1). During the rains, the direct impact of the drops on the unprotected soil disaggregates the particles, compact their surface, sealing the pores and creating an impermeable layer. This surface compaction causes water to drain instead of infiltrating, aggravating flood and reducing the recharge of the groundwater. In dry periods, the same compaction makes the development of roots difficult, while the lack of vegetation cover accelerates evaporation, requiring increasing amounts of irrigation. In addition, surface runoff carries dispersed particles, organic matter and pesticide residues, contaminating water and sprout courses – a vicious cycle that feeds the water crisis.
c) Climate vulnerability
Vegetables cultivated in conventional preparation systems are especially exposed to climate extremes. Without the protection of organic matter and vegetation cover, plants suffer from thermal stress in heat waves and soaking in periods of heavy rain. This fragility translates into recurring losses – from the reduction in the size and quality of the fruits, reflecting on loss of productivity – to the death of plants in more critical situations.
This scenario highlights a contradiction: the more productivity is forced through intensive revolving and the excessive use of highly soluble inputs, the more the natural resources that support their own agriculture are degraded. A change in the management of agricultural soil becomes urgent to ensure food safety against ongoing climate change.
SPDH as a solution
a) SPDH Principles
SPDH represents an innovative approach that combines technical and social aspects to transform vegetable production. This system rests on two fundamental axes that work in synergy: the political-pedagogical axis and the technical-scientific axis.
In the political-pedagogical sphere, SPDH promotes a participatory process where farmers, technicians and communities establish together an annual work plan. Through collective contracts, the group defines activities such as field days, exchanges and periodic evaluations, creating a shared commitment to the agroecological transition. This integrative methodology allows agroecosystem components – farmers, technicians, plants, soil, climate – to “talk” to each other and to coeve during this construction. This strengthens the bond between participants and ensures continuous adaptation of the system to local realities.
From the technical-scientific point of view, the central principle of SPDH is the promotion of plant health, based on the promotion of plant comfort, based on the minimization of nutritional stresses, salinity, water availability, temperature, brightness, pH and oxygenation in the rhizosphere, as well as the use of spatial arrangements that consider the architecture, the size of the plant and the amount of fruits as needed. It is advisable that nutrition be adjusted based on daily nutrient absorption rates, considering environmental conditions, soil reserves and signs of the plant. Practices such as addition to 10 mg of dry matter per hectare year, the rotation of green crops and fertilizers, including the voisin rational grazing to enable no -green planting, and restricted soil revolving to planting lines, are adopted.
The management of spontaneous or cultivated green fertilizers (black oats, peas, forage turnip, rye, papuã grass, mucuna, among others), using roll and brushcutter, evolves to no-green planting (Figure 2), seeking to reduce or eliminate the use of highly soluble fertilizers and pesticides. Production of seedlings and seeds is aimed at greater resistance to abiotic and biotic stress, with beneficial associations between the health promoter and the root and air system of plants, activating their defense system. These practices result in the reduction of productive and environmental costs, increased productivity and the appreciation of rural landscape through the integration of forests, ecological corridors and woods with crops and creations within the SPDH.
This integrated approach produces transformative results. The soil gains protection against erosion and compaction, water is better preserved in the system through greater infiltration and less evaporation, and plants develop resilience to face climate extremes. In addition to environmental benefits, SPDH shows that it is possible to reconcile productivity with sustainability, offering a real alternative to the challenges of conventional olericulture.
The resilience conferred by SPDH translates into more consistent productivity over the years, regardless of climate variations. This is due to the improvement of the chemical, physical and biological attributes of the soil, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Schematic representation of experiment based on agroecological principles with the main effects on soil health and reduced erosion. FMA = Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; CTC, capacity for cation exchange; SPC = conventional soil preparation system; PD = no -tillage without the use of coverage plants, SPDH = direct planting system of vegetables with diversity of vegetable roofs, dmg = geometric average diameter of aggregates; DMP = weighted average diameter of aggregates; Cot = total organic carbon. Illustration by Guilherme Wilbert Ferreira adapted from Comin et al. (2024).
Comparison between SPC and SPDH systems reveals profound transformations in soil quality. In SPC, generalized degradation is observed: chemical attributes are significant reduction, with marked losses of phosphorus, potassium and organic matter. The physical structure of the soil deteriorates, becoming compacted and vulnerable to erosion. Life in the soil is drastically reduced, with decreased microbial biomass and the diversity of edaphic fauna. In contrast, SPDH has an opposite and revitalizing scenario. The adoption of soil permanent coverage and restricted soil revolving stimulates chemical recovery, with progressive increase in nutrient and organic matter contents-especially when plants such as forage turnip and black oats are used. Physically, the soil gains porosity and structure, reducing compaction and drastically reducing erosion. Soil biology blooms, with increment in the population of beneficial microorganisms and balanced biological activity, as shown in Figure 3.
One way to evaluate soil quality between management systems is through the participatory assessment of soil quality, which generates a radar type, as shown in Figure 3. This assessment is made through edaphic attributes evaluated in the field by the perception of the evaluator, using parameters such as color, odor, root depth, macrofauna, erosion on the soil, paddles, etc. Thus, according to example (Figure 3), the most striking difference appears in soil erosion. While in SPC soil exposure to climate weather causes significant soil losses with reflexes in increasing erosion, in the SPDH permanent vegetation cover continuously protects the soil, significantly reducing erosion. This protection also regulates soil moisture, avoiding the extremes of soaking and dryness, so common in the SPC. This analysis shows that SPDH not only mitigates conventional preparation system problems, but makes the soil more resilient.
SPDH success is precisely in the combination of community engagement and careful application of technical principles, demonstrating that the transition to more sustainable agricultural systems is not only necessary but perfectly viable in practice.
b) Proven benefits
The SPDH establishes as one of its fundamental principles to maintain soil coverage, with the addition of at least 10 tons of dry matter per hectare. This practice, performed through the use of coverage plants – whether single or cocktails (Figure 2 and 3) – creates a microclimate that gives resilience to the productive system against climate extremes.
The continuous presence of vegetation cover promotes the formation of a diversified root system in the soil profile. Different species, with distinct root architectures – some pivoting and deep, some fasciculated and superficial – create a complex biopor network. These larger biopores allow the rapid flow of excess water during rainy periods, avoiding the surface soaking that causes the rotting roots and bulbs in cultures such as onion (Figure 4) and garlic, common in conventional preparation systems.
At the same time, this same biopor structure formed by the root system of cover plants acts as a natural reservoir during dry periods, as smaller biopores store water. Organic matter accumulated due to roots increases the capacity for water retention of the soil. Vegetation cover still reduces direct evaporation, keeping soil moisture longer. Thus, the same system that prevents excess water in the rains ensures its availability in the drought periods, demonstrating the Ecological Intelligence of SPDH in the management of water resources.
The result is a productive system with greater stability, where climate oscillations have a reduced impact on productivity. While in conventional systems, the extremes of rain or drought cause significant losses, in SPDH the presence of permanent coverage acts as a natural moderator, ensuring more balanced conditions for the development of vegetables throughout the production cycle. This feature is particularly valuable in the current context of climate change, where extreme events become increasingly frequent and intense.
- Successful cases in Brazil
On the ownership of 22 hectares in production of the Hoffmann brothers, located in Angelina, SC, in a high slope region (mountain agriculture), SPDH has shown impressive results in the face of recent climate challenges. While many farmers in the region have faced significant losses due to excessive rainfall and high summer temperatures of 2024, the production of cauliflower, strawberry and chayote of the Hoffmann remained stable and productive. This is due to a strategic combination of coverage and conservation management plants that radically transformed the relationship between soil, water and crops.
The system adopted on the property uses different coverage species according to the season. In summer, black mucuna, millet and papan grass protect the soil and improve their chemical and physical properties. Already in winter, black oats, ryegrass and peas are playing this role, creating a living barrier against erosion and thermal extremes. This careful rotation ensures that the soil remains covered for all 365 days of the year, with a layer of straw that exceeds 10 tons per hectare – one of the fundamental principles of SPDH.
The practical results of this management are notable. During the intense rainfall period in October 2023, when Angelina registered 310mm of precipitation in just four days, the property soil gradually absorbed the water, without the soaking that usually lead to the rotting of roots.
While in crops that adopt the conventional production of vegetables with SPC, the reduction of productivity and soil losses were severe, but in the crops under SPDH (Figure 5), even under temperatures above average and intense rainfall, the negative impacts on crop performance or the presence of erosion in high slope (EPAGRI, 2024) were not verified.
In addition to protection against weather, the system brought concrete economic gains. The productivity of cauliflower in SPDH increased by 36% (25.12 mg ha1) compared to SPC (18.48 mg ha1)
(Figure 6), while irrigation spending decreased about 30%thanks to the higher soil capacity to retain moisture. Perhaps the most significant data is the almost 100% reduction in erosion losses, a problem that once dragged tons of nutrient-rich soil to the property roads, as shown in Figure 1.
The adoption of SPDH in the chayote cultivation has also been an effective strategy for its sustainable production. This practice helps preserve soil structure, reduces erosion and promotes water retention, crucial factors in subtropical regions with frequent rainfall and especially with wavy relief (Figure 7). In addition, the use of SPDH in chayote cultivation contributes to the reduction of the use of agrochemicals, as straw vegetation and living plants acts as a natural barrier against spontaneous plants and favors natural enemies, such as the predator mite of the radied mite. This more sustainable soil management benefits not only the environment, but also the health of farmers and the quality of the final product.
SPDH provides the reduction of the need for soil preparation and the use of agricultural inputs, which results in time savings and financial resources for producers. With this, it provides significant economic advantages. In addition, the improvement in soil structure and higher soil water content causes greater productivity over time, ensuring more consistent and profitable harvests. Regarding productivity, the adoption of SPDH in chayote cultivation raised the average productivity to approximately 70 mg ha-1 year-1 and has reached 110 mg ha-1 year-1 at Edson and Solange Back in Anitápolis, SC. (Marcelo Zanella, personal communication).
These success cases in vegetable production, especially when talking about mountain agriculture, show how SPDH goes beyond a simple agricultural technique. It is a paradigm shift that reconnects food production to natural cycles, creating agricultural systems capable of facing the increasing challenges of climate change. For family farmers such as the Hoffmann brothers, this approach has proved not only environmentally friendly but also economically advantageous, ensuring the sustainability of their crops for future generations.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Soil conservation in Brazil faces complex and interconnected challenges, which involve technical, social, economic and political aspects. In this context, SPDH emerges as a practical and effective model to reconcile agricultural production and sustainability. By adopting principles such as soil permanent coverage, crop rotation and minimal revolving, SPDH demonstrates that it is possible to reduce soil erosion significantly compared to conventional systems, increase climate resilience of crops against droughts and heavy rains, and provides increased income for farmers, with reduced irrigation costs and inputs.
Overcoming these obstacles requires an integrated approach that values technical-scientific knowledge-as proven by SPDH-strengthens environmental governance and encourages sustainable agricultural practices. With planning, innovation and institutional commitment, it is possible to transform land use into a productive and at the same time conservation activity, ensuring food safety and environmental preservation for future generations. SPDH is a clear example that this transformation is not only needed – but it is already underway.
1: Soil quality is the ability a soil has to perform its functions within the agroecosystem in which it is inserted, and thus ensure the lives of humans, plants and animals. We understand soil functions: (re) nutrient cycling, water flow regulation, environmental buffer capacity and life support.
The authors Arcangelo Loss, Guilherme Wilbert Ferreira; Jucinei José Comin are from the Postgraduate Program in Agroecosites of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
email: arcangelo.loss@ufsc.br; guilherme.wilbert.ferreiraa@gmail.com, j.comin@ufsc.br
6. References
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COMIN, J J ; VEZZANI, F M ; SOUZA, M ; KURTZ, C ; Mafra, A ; LOVATO, P E ; Lourenzi, C. R. ; LOSS, A. Soil Health in No-tillage Vegetable Production Systems-SPDH. In: Mendes, I. C.; Cherubin, M. R.. (Org.). Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture in Brazil. 1ed.Nova Jersey: Soil Science Society of America: John Wiley & Sons, 2024, v. 3, p. 208-235.
Epagri. Agricultor de Angelina comprova a eficiência do SPDH diante de calor excessivo e de chuva intensa em SC. 2024. Disponível em: https://www.epagri.sc.gov.br/index.php/2024/02/19/agricultor-de-angelina-comprova-a-eficiencia-do-spdh-diante-de-calor-excessivo-e-de-chuva-intensa-em-sc/.
IBGE – INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATÍSTICA. Censo Agropecuário 2017: resultados definitivos. Rio de Janeiro, 2022. Disponível em: < https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/index.php/biblioteca-catalogo?view=detalhes&id=73101>. Acesso em: 09 abr. 2025.
INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATÍSTICA (IBGE). Produção Agrícola Municipal (PAM): culturas temporárias e permanentes. 2020. Disponível em: <https://www.ibge.gov.br/estatisticas/economicas/agricultura-e-pecuaria/9117-producao-agricola-municipal-culturas-temporarias-e-permanentes.html>. Acesso em: 09 abr. 2025.
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