Studies are being pursued in Irai de Minas by monitoring of the sheet runoff and measuring soil loss in plots in two differentiated microbasins from the morphological and landuse points of view.

The Pantaninho brook is located at the top of the plateau in smooth relief with declivity, 3 to 8% and an, altitude of between 1000 and 1065 m. The clay-silt-sandy soils are covered by the cultivation of soy and corn by conventional or direct plainting. The results presented in the plots of 1 x 10 m in the year of 1998 were: precipitation (P) 1810 mm; runoff in the portion of exposed soil was (R) of 633.7 L and soil loss (SL) of 136.86 Kg; in the portion with soy, R = 220 L and SL = 47.13 Kg.

The Divisa brook is located on the boundary of the plateau, in with strong structural ruptures, declivity of between 5 and 27%, embedded valleys, convex and rectilinear slopes between 850 and 1000 m high. The clay-silt-sandy soils are covered by the pasture. Precipitation in 1998 was: (P) 1019.67 mm. Results in the plots were: the part with exposed soil presented: (R) 319.3 L and, (SL) 68.91 Kg; in the grassy part the (R) was 103.95 L and (SL) 8.43 Kg.

The granularmetrical analyses of the loaded material carried away indicated a greater removal of silt particles, and a smaller loss of clay and sand. There was evidence of significant crusting of the soil as well as vident action by rains causing splash erosion with detachment up to 35 cm or above.