MONTURO: AN ANCESTRAL TECHNOLOGY FOR ORGANIC MATTER MANAGEMENT IN THE RECOVERY OF DEGRADED SOILS IN AGROFORESTRY HOMEGARDENS

Abstract

Soil is a dynamic system whose functionality depends on the interaction among its components and the management practices adopted, with organic matter playing a key role in soil structure, cation exchange capacity, and the recovery of degraded areas in tropical environments. This study aimed to evaluate the monturo as an ancestral technology for organic matter management, analyzing its distribution in soil microprofiles and its implications for carbon accumulation, transformation, and incorporation processes in an agroforestry homegarden, using visual analysis. The study was conducted in Santarém (PA), Brazil, in three management units: degraded soil (U1), household monturo (U2), and swept residue deposition area (U3). After a period of one and a half years, soil microprofiles (0.50 m × 0.50 m × 0.50 m) were opened and evaluated at depths of 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, using morphological description associated with a qualitative darkening scale. The results indicated greater accumulation and transformation of organic matter in the monturo (U2), intermediate behavior in the swept residue area (U3), and low functionality in degraded soil (U1). It is concluded that the monturo is an efficient strategy for enhancing organic matter dynamics and recovering degraded soils.