The tobacco industry is making progress in soil conservation practices.

The Protected Soil Project, a technical cooperation between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco), is entering a new phase. On March 25th, the research team presented the results of the first year of activities, which have a 60-month timeline and aim to diagnose and promote soil quality and sustainability in tobacco-producing units in southern Brazil.

Technical cooperation in partnership with the tobacco sector was also part of the projects presented at the Embrapa stand at Expoagro Afubra 2026, an agricultural fair held from March 24 to 27 in Rincão Del Rey, Rio Pardo/RS. Through the Protected Soil Project, the tobacco sector invests in actions to support the resilience demonstrated by producers in the face of adverse weather conditions.

According to Fernanda Viana Bender, technical advisor at SindiTabaco, in recent years there have been several advances in the application of conservation practices on the properties of producers integrated with associated companies. "But the sector continues to invest in the permanent search for improvements in field production," she assures. Covering 33 rural properties in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná, the project foresees the proposal of intervention plans encompassing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and the monitoring of key indicators, aiming at the protection, conservation, and recovery of the soil.

Prime Minister

In presenting the balance of the first year of activities, the coordinator of the Protected Soil Project, Adilson Luís Bamberg, highlighted the drawing and selection of properties, as well as the application of pre-diagnostic questionnaires. According to him, after holding regional technical seminars with advisors from companies associated with SindiTabaco, they answered technical questionnaires, which pointed out relevant aspects that not only cover the chemical indicators of the soil (e.g., pH) when considering soil health, but also indicated the need to consider aspects of soil physics (e.g., density) and biology (microbial biomass carbon).

The advisors also contributed by administering technical questionnaires on soil management and conservation aspects to over 500 randomly selected producers. Based on the 358 producers who fully responded to the questionnaire, the preliminary soil health diagnosis report highlighted aspects such as: 86,5% own the land; 96,4% rely on tobacco as their main source of income; and 83,8% intend to continue cultivating tobacco at least until 2029, the duration of the Protected Soil Project. The producers are from 132 municipalities, with 47,4% in Rio Grande do Sul, 29,1% in Santa Catarina, and 23,5% in Paraná.

Regarding the perception of soil quality, 85,5% of producers gave a positive or intermediate assessment. Researcher Juliana Maciel Bicca showed that tobacco is in a transitional production system, where annual soil disturbance still occurs, offering opportunities for more conservationist practices such as no-till farming. 

Mineral fertilization predominates on the farms (99,4%). Furthermore, 68,6% of producers reported conducting soil analysis with a frequency consistent with technical recommendations, i.e., every 2 to 3 years. Liming is adopted by 90,2% of those interviewed. According to researcher Luana Centeno Cecconello, the adoption of bio-inputs is still in its initial stages and opens space for the transition to more sustainable and biologically oriented management models.

The use of raised beds, a predominant technique in tobacco cultivation, is considered an ideal practice; however, 65% of the producers surveyed still do not adopt improved construction techniques. "Producers still don't usually build raised beds in a technically guided way, and therefore, the project finds an opportunity to grow by demonstrating practices and methods that can improve their condition," says researcher Adilson Bamberg. Soil cover is predominantly done with black oats, although research shows that the use of mixed cover crops can be more beneficial when implemented.

The conclusions of the first report already indicate the importance of expanding the use of cover crop mixes and incorporating technical criteria for the construction of raised beds. It was also verified that expanding the use of management systems with less or even no annual soil disturbance is very relevant, as it improves soil health, resulting in increased production and consequently higher producer income.

Next actions

Among the survey respondents, 81,5% expressed a willingness to implement new actions and techniques. From those who responded, 33 properties were selected to be part of the intervention actions. In the first half of April, sample collection will begin for in-depth soil health diagnostic analyses. The schedule and next steps also include defining intervention plans based on soil sample results, monitoring Good Agricultural Practices, expanding technical training, and consolidating the conservationist soil management model.