Pérdida de suelo por erosión hídrica superficial en caña de azúcar para producción de panela.

Soil loss due to surface water erosion is one of the degradation processes that most affects the physical quality of the soil and produces the largest area of degradation worldwide. This study compared soil loss in two methods of harvesting sugarcane for panela production, considering factors such as rainfall intensity, slope of the land, and time of plant growth. It was observed that the moment just after harvesting is when the greatest differences between cutting methods occur, the loss of soil being greater when harvesting by "parejo" than when harvesting by "entresaque". As the crop develops, this difference decreases, and soil loss is more influenced by the intensity of precipitation. Finally, the measurements made after cutting were compared with a soil condition without vegetation cover, where it was observed that soil losses in crops already established with sugarcane were notably lower concerning this condition. This study establishes the importance of leaf mulch as a soil protection factor in sugarcane crops for panela. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]