The term soil erodibility (factor K in the Universal Soil Loss Equation - USLE) expresses the natural susceptibility of a soil to water erosion. The K factor stands for the soil loss rate per unit of rainfall erosivity (factor R in the USLE). Knowledge on the K factor, as well as about the other factors of the USLE, is important to establish soil conservation strategies since they permit the estimation of soil loss rates by water erosion under specific climate, soil, topography, and management conditions. Soil losses data from fallowed or continuously tilled plots, using simulated rainfall, were obtained in the period from November, 2001 to March, 2004, in the South of the Planalto Catarinense, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, and used to calculate the soil erodibility of an Hapludox with 0.15 m m-1 slope. The K factor was calculated by the ratio of the soil losses by the rainfall erosivity values (EI30 index). It was also estimated through simple linear regression analysis based on the two variables. Eleven rainfall tests with the rotating-boom rainfall simulator were performed to obtain the necessary data for this study, using 3.5 x 11.0 m plots that were maintained under continuous tillage or fallowed for two years before the rainfall tests began. The soil erodibility for this soil was determined at 0.011 Mg ha h ha-1 MJ-1 mm-1 when calculated based on he soil losses/rainfall erosivity ratio and 0.012 Mg ha h ha-1 MJ-1 mm-1 when estimated by simple linear regression.
water erosion; soil loss; simulated rainfall; K factor
