Global Maize Project in Brazil: Ponta Grossa, Paraná

Cropping system intensification will be necessary to meet the future demands for corn. The established system of Ecological Intensification (EI) seeks cereal production systems that satisfy these future demands while developing cultivation practices with minimum interference to the surrounding environment. A Global Maize Project was established to identify gaps in yield between current technology and improved technology aimed at achieving EI.

The experiment was first established at Ponta Grossa, Paraná, in May 2010, but was lost due to technical problems. A new experiment will be initiated in April/May 2011 in a nearby location, with all winter treatments established at that time. The soil in the area is an Oxisol that has been under no-till cultivation for 6 years. The experiment will have a split-plot design with the main plots involving three types of cultivation systems and the sub plots being three levels of N input plus a control. The levels of cultivation are: 1) farmer practice (FP) involving a 2-year complete crop rotation cycle of black oats, corn, wheat, and soybean; 2) FP + silage production; and 3) EI of black oats + forage peas, corn, black oats, and soybean. The EI treatment will occur twice, alternating the crop rotation initiation point to permit the production of corn every summer. The levels of N application are 60, 120, and 180 kg N/ha, plus a control with no N added. This is a long-term project intended to influence current opinions on how to best manage cereal production in the region. IPNI-19