Potencialidades e limitações das terras no município de Santo Antônio de Pádua - RJ

Abstract

In Santo Antônio de Pádua, a municipality located in the Northwest region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, soil degradation began around the 18th century with the removal of native vegetation for sugarcane and coffee cultivation, followed by the implementation of livestock farming in the 20th century, and more recently the extraction of ornamental rocks. These activities accelerate soil degradation and alter its characteristics. The land capability system is an important tool for land use planning, allowing for measurement of the impacts on the studied region's dynamics. It defines the land's potential, limitations, and appropriate management. The methodology involved surveys to gather existing cartographic data in the region, followed by fieldwork for sample collection and profile identification. The collected material underwent physical and chemical analyses. Using all available results, spatial processing was carried out through Geographic Information Systems, utilizing soil classification methodologies and land capability assessments. It was found that 70% of the municipality's area consists of eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisols, with 54% of the area classified as Class III and IV in terms of land capability, suitable for occasional annual crops with limited perennial cultivation or subject to problems caused by erosion and water retention due to slopes exceeding 20%. 85% of the municipality's area is used for pasture, indicating underutilized land since laboratory results showed that all analyzed samples are eutrophic and have fertility potential for properly managed agricultural use.