The semiarid zone presents scarce and irregular rainfall with frequent droughts, with the occurrence of high intensity events being usual. The soils are shallow and stony, which limits regular agriculture practice, usually reducing productivity and turning this environment susceptible to erosion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of conservation practices, under bean crop, upon soil and water losses by the hydric erosion, in a Fluvic Neossol in the semiarid zone, with rainfed crop. Simulated rainfall has been applied with 60 mm h-1 intensity under the following treatments: cultivation in contour lines (N1) with rock barriers between each row of plantation, spacing 0.5 m; cultivation in contour lines (N2) with rock barriers between each row of plantation, spacing 1.0 m; downslope cultivation (DS); cultivation in contour lines with mulch cover (MC), using bean straws; cleared bare soil (CB) and natural covering (CN). Among the used treatments, the mulch cover option allowed, on average, a soil loss reduction of 86.91% in relation to the plot with cleared bare soil, with values close to the ones for the ideal condition of covering, which is the natural condition, during whole crop cycle.
rainwater harvested crop; runoff; conservation practice
