Title:
Evaluation of the Impacts of Maintaining Sugarcane Straw on Water Availability in a Brazilian Hydrographic Basin
Author(s):
Henzler, D.S., Seabra, J.E.A., Hernandes, T.A.D.
Document(s):
Paper
Slide presentation
Abstract:
There is a growing interest in the removal of sugarcane straw to produce bioenergy andin order to maintain the sustainability of the environment and the water security, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of the maintenance of the straw in the field on a basin streamflow. A hydrological model, which was already calibrated and validated, was used to simulated different quantities of straw (0, 2, 5, 7 and 10 tdbha-1) in a Brazilian basin. Changes in fertilization were made and the addition of the amounts of straw was made using a harvest efficiency parameter in the management module of the model. An extrapolated scenario with an intense expansion of sugarcane was considered to provide a more consistent quantification of the impacts.The straw coverdecreased evapotranspiration in the rainy season and slightly increased water yield. However, the removal of straw did not significantly affect the streamflowof the basin, showing that it has more influence on the evaporation of soil surface and does not affect the water availability of the basin. In agreement with other studies that evaluated the impacts of straw on soil quality, this study corroborates that partial removal, maintaining 5 to 7 tdb ha-1of straw on the soil, proves viable, conservingsoil and water.
Keywords:
agricultural residues, bioenergy, biomass, environment impact, streamflow
Topic:
Sustainable Bioeconomy: Impacts and Policies
Subtopic:
Environmental Impacts
Event:
29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4CO.11.1
Pages:
1086 - 1092
ISBN:
978-88-89407-21-9
Paper DOI:
10.5071/29thEUBCE2021-4CO.11.1
Price:
FREE
