Water Infiltration in Different Soil Covers and Management in the Cerrado–Amazon Ecotone, Brazil

Soil water infiltration is an important component of the hydrological cycle, and it is best evaluated when the raindrop impacts the ground surface. For this reason, it is affected by changes in land use and land cover and by the characteristics and physical–hydric properties of the soil. This study aimed to evaluate soil water infiltration in areas occupied by annual crops (soybean and corn) and pastures in two watersheds of the Teles Pires River-MT, using simulated rainfall, physical models, and principal component analysis. Infiltration rates were evaluated based on simulated rainfall with an average intensity of 75 mm h−1, with four repetitions per region (upper, middle, and lower) of the hydrographic sub-basins of the Caiabi and Renato rivers, and soil use with cover, without cover, and disturbed. Soil tillage provided higher water infiltration rates into the soil, especially in pasture areas in the two hydrographic sub-basins. There were significant adjustments to the mathematical models based on the infiltration rate data for all land use and land cover conditions. The soil attributes that most interfered with the infiltration rate were microporosity, bulk density, and total porosity in the crop areas of the middle Caiabi and microporosity, clay content, total porosity, and silt content in the areas farming at the source of the Renato River. The Horton and Philip models presented the best adjustments in the hydrographic sub-basins of the Caiabi and Renato Rivers, which are recommended for estimating the water infiltration rate into the soil in different uses, coverages, and regions.