Spreadsheet helps producers plan tree planting in ILPF

With the aim of assisting rural producers and technicians in planning a Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration (ILPF) system, Embrapa researchers developed an electronic spreadsheet that enables the quick calculation of the percentage of occupation of each component of the system (crop, livestock and forest) and the quantity in terms of area. Now available for use by producers and technicians, the spreadsheet was finalized within the Livestock-Forest Integration project in the Campanha Region of Pampa Gaúcho (IPF-Pampa), financially supported by ILPF Network Association, a public-private partnership between Embrapa and the companies Bradesco, Cocamar, John Deere, Soesp and Syngenta.

Another new feature is that all simulations can be saved in the spreadsheet for later comparisons. The producer decides the crops, forages and forest species, and the tool helps in planning the system. The results obtained help the user in making decisions, with guidance on the best design of the system to be implemented, in order to optimize the occupation of the area.

Forest engineer Alan Felix Falavinham, consultant at the company Guaranta Engenharia e Meio Ambiente, highlights that the spreadsheet takes into account the border between trees and agricultural crops when calculating the area, which reduces the agricultural area, as well as the space allocated to maneuvering of machines, which reduces the number of trees in the system and in the field. Falavíham is one of the creators of the spreadsheet. “The tool corrects the calculations based on these details in order to improve planning, making it closer to what is carried out in the field”, adds researcher Helio Tonini, researcher at Embrapa Pecuária Sul.

Furthermore, the use of the spreadsheet allows the producer to have accurate information about the system, in a faster and more reliable way, avoiding unnecessary expenses, according to researcher Ciro Magalhães, from Embrapa Agrossilvipastoril, highlights. “As the spreadsheet gives the exact number of trees for the plot, this helps the producer in calculating the inputs needed for implementation, such as the quantity of correctives, fertilizers and seedlings”, he explains.

The spreadsheet is suitable for any area size, any forest species and also allows calculations to be made by modifying the orientation of tree planting in the plot. This allows a good approximation in the case of planting on contour lines. In the spreadsheet, the producer can carry out several simulations to optimize the occupation of the area according to his objectives.

“The producer decides whether to plant perpendicularly or parallel to the largest or smallest side of the area, and the spreadsheet generates corrected information on the number of trees to be planted along with the spacing,” describes Tonini.

The forestry component

The concern with the correct implementation of the Crop-Livestock-Forest integration system must aim, in addition to profitability, to optimize the use of land, human resources, machines and implements and the conservation of water and soil. Tonini highlights the importance of understanding the role of trees in systems and their advantages. “The introduction of the forestry component can contribute to increasing income on rural properties, both through the commercialization of forest products and through their internal use, since the producer will not need to acquire these resources on the market”, he considers.

Trees sequester carbon and can mitigate or eliminate emissions from agricultural activities. The use of tree biomass has a direct effect on the carbon fixation time. “Trees harvested for furniture and construction fix carbon for a longer period of time than biomass destined for burning or the pulp and paper sector and, by adding value to the forestry product, increase the viability and profitability of the system”, adds the researcher.

Science has been demonstrating that the presence of trees influences the availability of dry matter and the quality of the forage produced, and in places closer to the trees, the production of forage biomass decreases, however, it presents better nutritional quality due to the increase in nitrogen content in dry matter. The deposition of leaves, branches, flowers and fruits produced by trees becomes an important source of organic matter and nutrients for the soil, increasing nutrient cycling.

The presence of trees also provides less variation in temperature and relative humidity and, consequently, a more stable environment. Trees soften the air temperature in summer and prevent the formation of frost in winter, being beneficial for forage crops and animals.

How to fill out the spreadsheet

Filling out is simple and quick. To plan an ILPF system using the spreadsheet, one must inform the dimensions of the area destined for planting, the number of rows in the rows, the spacing of the trees between the rows, the border (distance left between the trees and the agricultural or forage crops for avoid initial competition with trees) and the distance required for maneuvering agricultural machinery, which is defined by the user depending on the dimensions of their equipment. “In the spreadsheet itself, the user can view illustrative images”, highlights Tonini.

The spreadsheet is available free of charge to producers and technicians and can be downloaded from the internet and opened in editor software such as MS Excel, Libre Office or Google Sheets.

Sustainable path

Good practices for more sustainable agriculture and how to achieve this path by adding the tree component is the basis of the ILPF system. The documentary Sustainable path, focusing on Biomas project, shows these alternatives for how ILPF can be seen within the economy based on biological resources. See more about bioeconomy.