Mr. Fernando Delgado, Inter-American Center for Development and Environmental and Territorial Research (CIDIAT), Venezuela. Global Symposium on Soil Erosion (GSER19), 15 - 17 May 2019 at FAO HQ.

1. 1
Fernando Delgado
CIDIAT, University of Los Andes
Mérida, Venezuela

2. water erosion wind erosion
geologic erosion: a natural process
soil erosion induced by man

4. intensive agriculture
intensiva
incipient agriculture, hunting
and collecting
hunting, fishing and collecting
North
South
basic human activities in the American continent at ancient times
Facing soil erosion at ancient times
Central
America

5. soil
detachment
soil
transport
deposition
Strategies to face soil erosion
three processes three strategies
strategy 1
strategy 2
strategy 3

6. soil
detachment
strategy 1:
increase plant
coverage
strategies to face soil erosion in ancient agriculture

7. the Maya culture (2000 b.C. - 900 AD)

8. main crop management system in Mayan agriculture
cut & burning: shifting cultivation
a “milpa” landscape into
the Maya forest
maize
beanssquash
The “milpa” system:
(short-cycle crop association)
leading technology: crop associations

9. common Mayan crop management systems to enhance
soil productivity and to face soil erosion
cut and cover systems:
(“covered beans”)
week 1 week 2week 0
improved fallow systems:
maize
fallow (legume) fallow (legume)cropping
multi-strata
polycultures: cocoa

10. cut and cover system: “covered beans”
(“frijol tapado”)

11. soil
transport
strategy 2:
reduce
runoff
strategies to face soil erosion in ancient agriculture

12. terraces in the Colca river valley, Arequipa, Peru. (Collahua culture, X century AD).
leading technology:
terraces or “andenes”

13. terraces reached a peak with the Inca Empire (1450-1530 AD)

14. typical section of an Andean terrace
0.5 – 0.6 m
topsoil
(organic substrate)
sand
gravel
small stones
big stones
original terrain level
stone
wall
2 m
ground penetrating radar (GPR) composition of a Machu Picchu farming terrace

15. transforming sloping lands into horizontal terrains: to increase infiltration and reduce runoff & soil erosion
F. Delgado - CIDIAT
runoff & soil erosion
infiltration
infiltration

16. 24/05/2019
night
less heat loss
stored during the day
F. Delgado - CIDIAT
Steeplands with terraces
day
Increased uptake and
storage of solar energy
Steeplands without terraces
increasing exposed surface to the sun:
terraces modify micro-climatic conditions by improving the uptake of
radiant energy during the day and reducing radiative losses at night

17. deposition
strategy 3:
take advantage
of fertile
sediments
strategies to face soil erosion in ancient agriculture

18. leading technology: raised fields (wetland farming)
the Highplain (El Altiplano)
Tiawanacota culture (1400 b.C. – 1000 AD)
raised field
waru – waru (Qechua language)
suka kollus (Aymara language)

19. F.Delgado - CIDIAT
Raised field
(waru-waru system)

20. raised beds
terraces
raised field
integrated ancient systems
facing soil erosion
terraces
raised field

21. raised fields in some tropical American floodplains
Titicaca lake
(highplain)
“El Beni” floodplains, Bolivian Amazon
(Baure culture; 1000 b.C.-300 AD)
Amazon river
“Momposina” depression, Colombia
(Zenú culture; 200 b.C. to 1000 AD)

22. Xochimilca culture (1150-1350 AD)
Chinampas (“floating gardens”) in ancient lakes of Mexico valley
Aztec (Mexica) culture (1325 - 1521 AD)

23. 23
Conclusions
 These examples highlight the fact that there were,
and still persist from ancient times, many successful
land use & crop management systems, as well as
infrastructure works, to face soil erosion processes.
 These are promising models that promote
ecological stability in a context of sustained
productivity, offering alternatives to be studied and
promoted as an important contribution to the
challenges of modern agriculture to face soil erosion
threats.
strategy 1
strategy 2
strategy 3
Thank you very much…!
Fernando Delgado
delgado.cidiat@gmail.com