Soil Health Indicators Under Crop Diversity in Brazilian No-Till Systems

Martha Lustosa Carvalho's study evaluates 13 soil health indicators across a crop diversity gradient in Carambeí, Southern Brazil. It analyzes physical, chemical, and biological indicators like bulk density, active carbon, and nutrient availability under soybean-oats monoculture, diversified rotations, and cover crop mixtures. The data supports assessing incremental soil health benefits in mature no-till systems practiced for over three decades.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between crop diversification treatments and active carbon levels to quantify carbon turnover benefits.
• Compare nutrient availability (P and K) across soybean-oats monoculture, diversified rotations, and cover crop mixtures.
• Assess physical indicators like bulk density and water-stable aggregates for structural recovery in long-term no-till systems.
• Use radar plot data to interpret functional implications for water regulation and nutrient cycling under different management practices.
• Model the non-significant trends in soil organic carbon and protein against the 13 measured soil health indicators.

Strengths

• Evaluates 13 distinct soil health indicators, providing a multi-faceted view of soil status.
• Data originates from a long-term no-till system practiced for over three decades, offering insights into mature conservation agriculture.
• Study design includes a clear crop diversity gradient with specific treatments (monoculture, rotations, cover crops).
• Analysis employs linear mixed models and radar plots for robust statistical and functional interpretation.

Limitations

• The dataset is small in scale at 675.3 KB, indicating limited sample size or geographic scope confined to Carambeí, Brazil.
• As a case study, findings may not be generalizable to other regions or soil types without further validation.
• Data is presented in a DOCX file format, which may require extraction and structuring for quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Martha Lustosa Carvalho via figshare.

Collection Method

Field study evaluating soil health indicators across managed crop diversity treatments.

Time Range

Study period not specified, but context involves systems practiced for over 30 years.

Freshness

Last updated March 24, 2026.

Geography

Carambeí, Southern Brazil, subtropical South America.