Soybean cultivation has begun: what producers need to know to increase productivity

The release of soybean planting for the 2022/23 harvest came accompanied by many expectations. With positive profitability on the international market, Brazilian farmers chose to invest in the crop, which will have the largest planted area in history: 42,4 million hectares, according to the National Supply Company (Conab).

In this new soybean cycle, the incidence of La Niña for the third year in a row has generated concern among rural producers, as the phenomenon contributed to droughts and reduced productivity in the last harvest. To ensure that the planting carried out meets market harvest expectations, with heavy grains and high yields, soybean farmers must carry out management that provides the necessary nutrients for crops to develop and become more resistant to climatic stresses.

Crop productivity is fully aligned with the supply of nutrients, which is why soil analysis is necessary to identify the amount of available elements and chemical, physical and biological properties important for plant nutrition. This way, it is possible to know how much of each nutrient should be applied, making the process more efficient and waste-free. A land with a balanced pH and rich in macro and micronutrients provides better harvests at the end of the season.

Fertilizer technology for soybean farming allows us to go far beyond the traditional NPK combination, formed by nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – primary macronutrients. Currently, crops respond with high productivity to fertilizers with a balanced formulation that combines secondary macronutrients and micronutrients.

Among the secondary macronutrients, magnesium acts directly on the growth and development of plants and, when in low concentrations in the soil, impacts productivity. The element also plays a fundamental role in photosynthesis and participates in processes linked to the synthesis of starch, protein, fats and vitamins, strengthening cellular tissues. Therefore, its application contributes to increased productivity, generating fuller, heavier and more numerous grains.

Soybean growers also need to consider fertilizers with sulfur, another fundamental secondary macronutrient that plays a role in the structural formation of the plant, root growth and the production of fats, oils and enzymatic activity. In soybeans, the micronutrient boron is part of the balanced soil nutrition formulation, as it contributes to increasing the production ceiling. The element is responsible for biological processes and, when absent or in deficiency, can cause damage by interrupting the cellular development of crops, affecting growth and reproductive aspects. Many experts attribute boron with the responsibility for maximizing crop productivity.

Magnesium, sulfur and boron have specificities in their sources, which can increase or decrease the efficiency of the element's delivery to the soil and soybean plantations. Boron, for example, must be present in the fertilizer in the forms of calcium borate and sodium borate, which guarantees its immediate and gradual supply. This is important so that plants have the elements they need available not only in a short period after application, but throughout their development cycle.

Today, the technology applied to the development of fertilizers allows a single granule to contain macro and micronutrients in balanced levels and with superior physical quality, the high uniformity of the granules provides effective distribution. The results of these new fertilizer technologies are lower losses of mobile nutrients in the soil and effective use of nutrition applied to crops.

New generations of fertilizers are increasingly conquering soybean-producing areas across the country, and farmers have noticed that using the same area to harvest more has generated greater profitability at the end of the harvest. It is the investment in knowledge for appropriate management and in technological fertilizer that returns to the rural producer in increased productivity, profitability and sustainability. Here is the new generation of Brazilian soybean farmers!

Breno Azevedo, Market Development specialist at Mosaic Fertilizers