Central-Northwest Minas Gerais expands sustainable grain production.

In 2025, Embrapa Maize and Sorghum began implementing a research project with a strategic focus on the sustainability and expansion of grain production in degraded pasture areas in the Central-Northwest region of Minas Gerais. The three-year project is entitled "Integrated management strategies of agronomic practices change the expansion and sustainability of grain production systems in areas converted from pastures in the central-northwest region of Minas Gerais".

The initiative seeks to ensure that the expansion of grain cultivation has a solid foundation of sustainability and competitiveness, preventing the risk of a future collapse due to the vulnerability of soy as a monoculture and promoting territorial development.

The "Central-Northwest Minas Gerais Development Axis" region, encompassing portions of the West Minas Gerais, Central Minas Gerais, and Northwest Minas Gerais mesoregions, has attracted considerable interest due to the growth of soybean cultivation as an option for converting degraded pasture areas into more technologically advanced agricultural production environments. It is part of the São Francisco River Basin and possesses privileged logistics, as well as soils and resources suitable for mechanization.

Until then, extensive areas had been used for pastures with low animal carrying capacity, with varying degrees of management, or for eucalyptus forestry. The introduction of soy, considered a major driver of development, generated excitement but also raised uncertainties regarding the sustainability and productive stability of the new activity in the medium and long term. 

Embrapa's project emerges as a response to the need to develop regionally adapted technologies, taking into account local edaphoclimatic constraints, such as the high frequency of dry spells and the presence of sandy soils. In this context, there is a need to integrate agronomic, cultural, and management practices that favor greater soil protection, diversification of cultivated plant species, and reduction in the need for input costs, such as fertilizers and pesticides.

Researcher Miguel Gontijo Neto, coordinator of the project, explains that the central strategy lies in the implementation of Integrated Agricultural Practices Management (IAPM) on partner farms. "The experimental plots will be installed next to the producers' traditional management areas, where as many good agricultural practices as possible will be introduced. These will include soil and water conservation, straw production for no-till farming, efficient nutrient and pesticide management, the use of bio-inputs, and the introduction of cover crops."

“This 'on-farm' approach will not only allow us to monitor the forecasting of technologies in a real-world environment, but will also serve as a physical base for holding Field Days and technical events, ensuring the rapid dissemination of best practices to producers,” reports Gontijo.

In parallel, a team involved in the project will use geomodeling and remote sensing to map and categorize the level of pasture management, identifying with greater precision the areas best suited for conversion into grain production systems, or providing curated information for agricultural planning and the formulation of public policies for this vast region of Minas Gerais.

“In the areas where partner farms are monitored, in addition to productive performance, whenever possible, information will be gathered on gains in economic and environmental sustainability, and indicators related to climate resilience,” comments researcher Arystides Resende Silva. 

For the 2025/26 crop season, in the municipalities of Abaeté and Bom Despacho, the initial conditions of two pasture areas where soybean cultivation will be implemented have been defined. These areas will be monitored for soil quality and protection attributes, phytosanitary aspects, productivity, and the carbon footprint of the soybeans. "The expectation for the next crop season is to expand the number of properties monitored in other municipalities in the region and also to identify institutional partners to increase representation, maximizing the results and socio-economic impacts of the project," emphasizes Miguel Gontijo.