Efecto de la geo-nivelación sobre el rendimiento de soja y la dinámica de agua y nutrientes del suelo en sistemas regados del este

Flooding issues in soybean cultivation negatively affect the proper development of plants and can even cause their death. For this reason, techniques such as land leveling are employed to eliminate affected areas and achieve an appropriate slope that facilitates proper water drainage. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of land leveling in cut, fill, and neutral situations, analyzing its effect on the physical and chemical properties of the soil, as well as its influence on soybean yield under sprinkler irrigation systems in the eastern region of the country. To achieve this, the study environment was characterized by a climatic description of the evaluated period, along with quantifying the water infiltration rate in the soil of the field. A statistical model with blocks was defined based on the slope phase, and results were subsequently analyzed using 36 sampling points evenly distributed across the three blocks within the 27.24 hectares of the field. These evaluations included soil density, seedling survival, crop biomass, and grain yield. Additionally, a chemical analysis was conducted for each point, including pH, organic matter (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (%BS), phosphorus (P) concentration, exchangeable potassium (K int), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). All samples were taken during the harvest following the smoothing operation. The results of the analyses show that with a soil movement of 76.6 m³/ha and a cut/fill ratio of 1.2, no significant differences were observed in soil properties or crop yield. The fill treatment showed variability in plant development, attributed to the effect of flooding, which was partially mitigated by land leveling. In conclusion, these results suggest that proper management of land leveling, along with optimal irrigation control, can improve production conditions in soils with very low slopes, enhancing the sustainability of soybean production in the region.