Sustainable Production Systems Under No-till in the Cerrado of Brazil - Maranhão

Continuous cultivation of lands under the same monocropping systems tends to promote soil degradation and increases the incidence of crop diseases, pests, and weeds, which in turn, reduces the crop yield potential. This is a long-term research project looking into various aspects of sustainable agricultural systems. The project gives emphasis to crop rotation and other alternatives to generating long-term profitability. This is believed to be instrumental to many farms located throughout the Brazilian Cerrado region. Part of this project is dedicated to the study of soil fertility management under these sustainable agriculture systems. One experiment containing eight different cropping systems was initiated in 2012 and general results for the first year will be available late in 2013. Brazil-60

IPNI-2012-BRA-60

26 Mar 2015

2014 Annual Interpretive Summary


Continuous cultivation of lands under monocrop systems tends to promote soil degradation and increases the incidence of crop diseases, pests, and weeds, which in turn, reduces crop yield potential. This is a long-term research project looking into various aspects of sustainable agricultural systems. The project emphasizes crop rotation and other alternatives to generating long-term profitability. This is believed to be instrumental to many farms located throughout the Cerrado region. Part of this project is dedicated to the study of soil fertility management under these sustainable agriculture systems.

Results indicate that soybean yield was affected by previous crop rotation. Soybean after maize (second crop) produced 2.4 t/ha, soybean after maize (second crop) associated with brachiaria grass yielded 2.7 t/ha, and soybean after maize (second crop) associated with sunhemp yielded 2.8 t/ha.

This is a long term project and more results will be available in future years.