Soil fertility and fertilization recommendations will be discussed by Embrapa Soja at the Famato Embrapa Show

Soil fertility, aspects of fertilization recommendations, as well as rationalization in the use of inputs will be highlighted among the technologies to be presented by Embrapa Soja, at the Famato Embrapa Show, to be held from the 22nd to the 24th of June, at the Cenarium Rural, in Cuiabá (MT), by the Agriculture and Livestock Federation of Mato Grosso (Famato), Embrapa and the National Rural Learning Service (Senar-MT). Technological solutions will be demonstrated with a focus on improving the fertilization of production systems and rationalizing the use of inputs: the Fast-K, a method that evaluates the concentration of potassium (K) in soybean crops,  the online platform, AFERE – Assessment of Soil Fertility and Fertilization Recommendation and multifunctional inoculation for brachiaria. 

Embrapa Soja will also share knowledge, through posters, on the following topics: conventional soybean cultivars, Rapid Soil Structure Diagnosis (DRES), Soil management techniques to reduce damage from the root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus brachyurus) and techniques on the green stem nematode (known as crazy soybean II). 

Furthermore, Embrapa Soja researchers will be giving lectures throughout the event. On the 23rd, starting at 10:30 am, at the Central Arena, researcher Júlio Franchini, Embrapa Soja, will give a lecture on Soil Management to reduce damage from the nematode Pratylenchus brachyurus. Still on the 23rd, Arena Central, starting at 16:30 pm, researcher Henrique Debiasi, from Embrapa Soja, will address the Rapid Diagnosis of Soil Structure (DRES): a method that identifies compaction and in parallel, researcher Marco Nogueira will present results on the Inoculation with brachiaria.

On the 24th, from 14pm to 16pm, in the Main Auditorium, a panel on Current Affairs in Integrated Pest Management is scheduled to be moderated by the general manager of Embrapa Soja Alexandre Nepomuceno. Lectures will be given by researchers Adeney de Freitas Bueno, Rafael Major Pitta and Samuel Roggia, covering respectively Biological Pest Control, Regional Management of Pest Resistance and Control Tactics and Application Technology.

AFERE

On the Applications island, the software Afere - Soil Fertility Assessment and Fertilization Recommendation will be demonstrated, which is an online platform that plans the fertilization management of agricultural areas adjusted to the nutrient replacement needs and considering the history of production of the evaluated area and the balance of nutrient inputs and outputs.

According to researcher Adilson de Oliveira Jr., from Embrapa Soja, this first module of the AFERE platform will calculate the fertilizer balance and generate nutrient replacement reports in soybean production systems. “We are providing a free system with features that make it possible to store user data, generate fertilization, productivity and nutritional balance histories over time”, he highlights. “Our proposal with this tool is to increase fertilizer recommendation processes, constantly mapping productive areas to avoid negative nutritional balances that reduce productivity, in addition to maximizing the use of nutrients available in the soil to minimize production costs”, adds Oliveira Jr.

The second module of the AFERE platform will enable the interpretation of soybean leaf analysis based on new nutritional standards. Module 3 will indicate the need for acidity correction and fertilization recommendations, through the interpretation of the register of soil analysis results, integrating balance information, nutritional diagnosis and production systems into the recommendations.

Fast-K 

The Fast-K methodology will be available on the Technologies, Régua and Sensors Island, a test that evaluates, in soybean crops, the concentration of potassium (K), a fundamental macronutrient for plant development. Fast-K's proposal is to improve the nutritional management of soybeans, based on foliar testing in the field. The assessment allows possible nutritional deficiencies to be corrected quickly, as it replaces the current, more time-consuming conventional laboratory analyses. However, laboratory analyzes continue to be important for the evaluation of other nutrients. “With this method, technical assistance gains time to make the most accurate decisions regarding the correction of potassium deficiency during the current harvest, since potassium has a direct influence on productivity”, explains Embrapa researcher Adilson de Oliveira Junior.

The first step of the Fast-K method involves collecting five to ten soybean leaves. After collection, the leaves need to be weighed on a portable scale and macerated together with a small amount of water to obtain a fresh mass that will be passed through a paper filter. The liquid solution obtained will be inserted into equipment capable of reading and determining the concentration of potassium in liquid samples. 

Fast-K can indicate three nutritional states of plants: 1) deficiency, 2) “hidden hunger” (loss of production without expressing the symptom of deficiency) and 3) adequate levels. “Based on the diagnosis obtained, it is possible to define nutritional management strategies for the crop, even in the current harvest”, says Oliveira Jr. Details of the methodology can be accessed at hotsite. 

Multifunctional inoculation 

On the Island of Biological Products Technologies, Embrapa Soja will demonstrate the technology that associates microorganisms with multifunctional properties (Azospirillum brasilense and Pseudomonas fluorescens) with the potential to increase the production of pastures with brachiaria by 22%, in addition to increasing the absorption of nutrients by plants. According to Embrapa researchers Mariangela Hungary and Marco Antonio Nogueira, in addition to increasing the production of forage biomass, inoculation with microorganisms increases the absorption of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). 

The development of this multifunctional inoculant is now available to producers, through a public-private partnership between Embrapa and the company Total Biotecnologia/Biotrop, via the technological package called Pasto Max. The package consists of a kit with three products: Pasto Max PK (Pseudomonas fluorescens); Pasto Max N (Azospirillum brasilense) and Pasto Max Protege (protective additive, aimed at protecting bacteria against desiccation and sunlight). 

In the case of the Azospirillum bacterium, considering the adequate supply of fertilizers and inoculation via seeds and leaves, the tests showed an increase in root volume, which improved, on average, the nitrogen concentration in the biomass by 13% and by 10,4%. 11,2% potassium absorption. On the other hand, inoculation with Pseudomonas favored a set of biochemical processes that include the solubilization of phosphates, the synthesis of phytohormones and the absorption of nutrients. In this case, the inoculation impacted the use of potassium (K), by 30,2%, and phosphorus (P), by XNUMX% “These benefits are verified both by inoculation via seeds and via foliar inoculation. It is worth highlighting that the development of technology sought to enable synergism between microorganisms and foliar inoculation. Therefore, it is an achievement to meet the demand of producers who need to improve already established pastures”, celebrates Nogueira.