Impact of Soil Management on Water Storage and Soybean Yield

Abstract The study assesses the impact of diverse soil management techniques on water storage and soybean yield, considering changes in precipitation patterns in Rondônia and the potential water stress on the soybean crop due to alterations in land use and soil cover. The experiment, conducted in Vilhena-RO during the 2021/2022 harvest, included treatments with two management techniques (no tillage and minimal tillage) and soybean cultivation under three soil cover conditions (no cover, no-till, and intercropped with Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu). Agrometeorological monitoring collected data such as precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, soil temperature, and humidity. Analysis of volumetric soil moisture indicated similar variability between treatments, but conditions without tillage showed greater water retention, associated with soil structuring. No statistical differences were observed between the soil cover conditions. The study underscores the importance of the soil's physical conditions in regulating surface water storage for soybean cultivation in Vilhena-RO.