Brachypodium distachyon, Sinapis alba, and controlled spontaneous vegetation as groundcovers: Soil protection and modeling decomposition

The Rickman model and the Steiner model were tested under realistic field conditions in a study of modeled on-field decomposition. Three temporal scales were employed: degree-day, decomposition day, and the less-used corrected degree-day. The degree-days and corrected degree-days scales yielded the best results with the Rickman model, fitting adequately to experimental data. Good values were achieved for the coefficient of efficiency (E between 0.59 and 0.78) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (rxy ranging from 0.82 to 0.88) between simulated and measured values, despite the very high variability shown in the field data. The use of Brachypodium is much more suitable for protecting soil than the continued use of a spontaneous soil cover. This approach could help develop better practices in conservation agriculture, prevent land degradation, and ensure sustainability.