2.2 CDA Conventional Diagnostic Methodology
The CDA inspection/diagnosis methodology (conventional) has been being developed since 1999 by the technical staff of Agronomist Engineers; first published in 2003, it was improved in 2017, and received the designation of Innovative CDA Diagnostic Methodology (Vischi Filho et al., 2019). This was urged by the need of strategic action to respond to an increase in demand. A range of technological innovations were tested, including the use of a model aircraft, helicopter, and drone; however, it was only when this new work methodology was implemented that the results were promising. The CDA Innovative pilot project was carried out at Rio do Peixe watershed, on a 53,000 hectare stretch, located in Vera Cruz, Ocauçu and Marília cities.
Inspection and agroenvironmental restoration works in Rio do Peixe watershed have been ongoing since June 15th, 2007. Inspections have been carried out in all properties that compose these three sectors of watershed. CDA Conventional methodology was applied, which consists of planning an operation with the delimitation of watershed in a topographic map scale 1:50.000; preparing a mosaic of aerial images to be used in the field, “in loco”, to assist in the localization strategy; and, visiting all the watershed properties. Ultimately, the properties are visited using the ”checklist” (official CDA document for Soils), in which erosions and other forms of degradation are included, in compliance with conservation legislation (São Paulo State, 1988).
Erosions are georeferenced using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, classified, photographed (photos that will compose a photographic report) and noted on the ”checklist”. The data generated in the diagnosis is used to compose the processes relevant to each agricultural property visited. The owner of the area hires an Agricultural Engineer who prepares a technical conservation project for the restoration of the degraded area, respecting in such projects the class of land use capability (Lepsch et al., 2015), for this property.
The conservation project is, then, analyzed by the CDA Staff, who approves it or not, sending it for corrections if necessary (physical project, on paper). If approved, it is taken through to implementation stage, by the farmer, who enforces correction and remediation of the soil damage and erosion at that location. The CDA Staff, in this work, was composed of four Agricultural Engineers who worked for a week, on a monthly basis. They visited each property two to five times during the implementation of the project; the first time during the diagnosis, thereafter monitoring the execution of the technical project, and, at last, to release the property after the works. Once the project is implemented, the soil is preserved and the property becomes more profitable, as productivity is increased. This methodology was applied to two sections of this watershed, defined as: section I, located in Vera Cruz, SP, Brazil, with an area of ​​14,076 ha (monitored from 2007 to 2011); and section II, located in Ocauçu, SP, Brazil, with an area of ​​9,027 ha (monitored from 2011 to 2015).