Water balance of a sugarcane crop: Quantitative and qualitative aspects of its measurement

The quantification of soil water balance components was conducted in a sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) field differently managed, as well as a qualitative analysis of the methodologies used for their estimation. The study was conducted in randomized block experiment with four replicates and three treatments: bare soil, mulched soil using trash left on the soil surface after harvest, and soil with burnt trash. The soil was classified as a Rhodic Kandiudalf, locally called ‘Terra Roxa Estruturada’, the experimental area having a slope of 7.4%. Run-off, soil water fluxes at the lower soil volume limit, and soil water storage changes were not affected by the different soil management practices. Furthermore, it was found that the evaluation of runoff and soil water fluxes is strongly affected by the spatial variability of physical properties.