Tithonia Diversifolia: Promising Species in the Recovery of Cattle Soils; “Santa Isabel” Farm, Sucre - Colombia

In March 2020, on the “Santa Isabel” farm in Sincelejo, Sucre, with a land use history of over 15 years of cattle ranching, the potential of Tithonia Diversifolia was evaluated. Using the Leopold matrix, a value of -460 identified soil as the most impacted resource. Semi-structured interviews revealed significant information gaps within the local community regarding sustainable soil management. A physical and chemical diagnosis was conducted at the IGAC-BOGOTÁ soil laboratory, selecting apparent density (1.65 g/cm3), real density (2.51 g/cm3), and porosity (34.05 %) as key soil quality indicators prone to compaction. Based on the results of the multi-criteria matrix, Tithonia Diversifolia was chosen as a sustainable alternative to evaluate two treatments over four months in situ: T1 (plant species alone) and T2 (plant species combined with a chemical amendment [lime] and organic fertilizer [stabilized manure]). The study found that in t2, bulk density decreased by 31.33 %, while porosity, field moisture, and ph increased by 53.23 %, 156.35 %, and 21.64 %, respectively. In t1, real density decreased by 8.03 %, and organic carbon content increased by 53.23 %. These results demonstrated the potential of Tithonia Diversifolia for rehabilitating soils susceptible to compaction, reducing degradation risks, and contributing to soil recarbonization strategies.