Soils erosion in pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr) producing areas

Abstract

Pineapple is the third most-produced tropical fruit worldwide; however, it is a crop that, due to its management, can lead to the generation and intensification of processes such as soil erosion. This paper presents a bibliographic review about the factors that influence erosion in soils dedicated to pineapple cultivation, addressing papers reported in the international literature, subsequently positioning it in the context of the main producing municipalities presented in the Valle del Cauca region. The available research covers the last four decades, where losses are estimated between 35 and 178t ha-1year-1; the topography, the conditions of the access roads, some management practices, and edaphic properties related to erodibility stand out among the most critical factors. Finally, based on the climatic, edaphological, and topographic traits reported in the literature for the main pineapple producing region of Valle del Cauca, and considering current management practices, it is found that this area can present very high erosion values since the soils are susceptible, and the slopes are steep, some of them even higher than 70%. Therefore, it is suggested to carry out more research to determine the erodibility and erosivity of these areas to know the potential degradation index, which will function as a valuable tool for decision-making, the generation of management, and conservation recommendations of these soils.