Fernanda Julia Gaspari

AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONING AND POTENTIAL YIELD OF SINGLE OR DOUBLE CROPPING OF POTATO IN ARGENTINA

Potato is the most important horticultural crop in Argentina and at present 100,000 ha are grown in different regions and seasons. The four possible growing seasons are defined as early (June–October), medium-early (July–November), medium-late (October–March) and late (February–June) and have already been characterized by assessing weather, soil and crop type, yield level and yield determining, yield limiting and yield reducing factors. However, there is scarce or no information on the possibilities of expanding actual crop frontiers, either at regional or national level and on the potential yield of the crop in different agro-ecological zones. Hence, in this work, we (1) characterize agro-ecological zones for potato production, (2) establish potential duration of the crop cycle and potential growing seasons, (3) estimate the potential yield of the crop in these zones and seasons and (4) demonstrate how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for land evaluation and simulation models that establish potential yield of the crop can be used together to assess possibilities for increasing crop production at regional or national scales. Seven potential growing seasons ranging from 3500°C day were identified for areas where one crop can be grown per year, whereas four areas were identified where there is a potential for a second crop of potatoes. In these areas and seasons, potential tuber yields ranged from 20 Mg ha−1 dry matter. The study identified suitable soils and ascertained the corresponding potential duration of the growing seasons and the potential yield for each of the suitable sites and seasons.

Land use changes and sediment yield on a hilly watershed in Central-East Argentina

Delgado M.I., Gaspari F.J., Kruse E.E . (2015): Land use changes and sediment yield on a hilly watershed in CentralEast Argentina. Soil & Water Res., 10: 189–197. Watershed management strategies need suitable techniques to be available in order to quantify sediment yield, among other relevant issues. The aim of this work was to estimate the sediment yield on a hilly watershed, for two different land use scenarios (years 1966 and 2011) and rainfall events (106 mm and 65.5 mm). The Modi fied Universal Soil Loss Equation was used to estimate the sediment yield produced by a single rainfall on the watershed of the Belisario Creek, placed south-west of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The information was processed using the Geographic Information System Idrisi Taiga ® . Modelling the 45-year distant land use scenarios allowed to estimate the high level of degradation that is currently taking place on the watershed. Also, we detected different responses through different areas of the watershed; the same rainfall event in the 2011 land use scenario compared to the 1966 scenario showed a 400% increment in sediment yield in the upper sub-watersheds, together with an almost 100% increment near the sink. Here we propose the urgent need to elaborate a sustainable plan for the watershed of the Belisario Creek, in order to establish action criteria that could help improve natural resources management. The methodology used could be also applied to neighbour ing watersheds with similar characteristics in the region.

Estimation of soil erosionability in the stream basin of Pillahuinco Grande, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

2correlation value was 0.76 in relation to the simplifi ed K factor, 0.87 to K1, and 0.86 to K2 (very similar due to the small signifi cance of silt in the equation). This relationship demonstrates that the application of K1 and K2, according to the readiness of the data, is more specifi c and exact than the results obtained by applying the simplifi ed K factor.