Congress shows ILPF as a strategy for building soil fertility

The use of different crop-livestock-forest integration strategies (ILPF) in recovering the fertility of soils with low fertility was one of the topics covered during the XXXVII Brazilian Congress of Soil Science, held from the 21st to the 26th of July in Cuiabá (MT ). The topic was presented and discussed at a symposium on Wednesday, the 24th, and was also seen in practice during a technical visit to two rural properties on Friday, the 26th.

With the theme “ILPF as a strategy for sustainable intensification of land use”, the symposium showed different research results and producers' experiences in which ILP was used to recover degraded pastures.

Using data from the Agricultural Census carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Embrapa Cerrados researcher Lourival Vilela showed that, between 2006 and 2017, there was an 18% increase in the area with degraded pastures in Brazil, reaching 11,7. 100 million hectares. The country's pasture area is estimated at XNUMX million hectares.

According to the researcher, as this data is based on the self-declaration of the interviewees, it is likely that the number is even higher. Proof of this is that, according to the Agricultural Census, 82% of the country's pastures have a stocking rate below 0,8 animal units per hectare. The number is well below the possibility of production, if the pastures are well managed.

“If we raise the average to 2 ua/ha, 74,7 million hectares will be freed up for agriculture”, calculates the researcher, showing that it is possible to more than double agricultural production without the need to open new areas.

In order to achieve this productivity gain, one of the best alternatives available to producers is the integration of livestock farming and farming. In addition to covering the costs of recovering the pasture and allowing more efficient use of resources, the consortium brings benefits to the soil.

According to Embrapa Soja researcher Osmar Conte, ILP promotes crop diversification, recovers the chemical properties of the soil, improves coverage, enables greater root growth, increases porosity and organic matter content in the soil. This creates a more diverse and favorable environment for plant development.

Among the benefits of ILP, Osmar highlights the greater capacity for deepening roots, which allows plants to seek nutrients and water in deeper layers. This way they better resist summer periods.

“Soybeans deepen their roots when planted after Brachiaria ruziziensis. By doubling the depth of the roots, you double the number of days of full water service for the plant,” he explains.

Organic matter

According to the researcher, a 1% increase in the organic matter content in the soil represents an increase in production of 12 to 15 bags of soybeans. In this sense, the use of forage is the producer's greatest ally, especially due to the increase generated by the roots. Osmar explains that, according to research carried out at Embrapa Soja, 30% of the productivity gain is due to the straw generated by the forage and the remaining 70% to the roots.

An example of what was presented at the symposium could be seen by congress participants who were on the ILPF technical tour. A group of around 70 people visited two farms that use different technology strategies.

One of them, in the municipality of Poconé (MT), in the Pantanal biome, was an example of degraded pasture. With the use of soybean crops, producer Raul Santos Costa Neto saw the productivity of the Lagoa Dourada farm take a leap. In the first harvest, in 2012/2013, he harvested an average of 42 bags of soybeans. Five years later, he harvested 72 bags on average from 1.500 ha of crops. Furthermore, for the second year in a row, he was the winner in Mato Grosso of the award for maximum soybean productivity from the Brazilian Soy Strategic Committee (Cesb), reaching 100 bags/ha in one of his plots.

According to the producer, thanks to ILP, he was able to increase the average organic matter content in his soil from 1,5% to 3%. In some points the index exceeds 5%.

 Expansion of the area with ILPF

In addition to allowing an increase in grain and livestock productivity, ILPF is a more efficient technology in balancing greenhouse gas emissions. Recovered pastures, direct planting in straw and planting trees are techniques that help mitigate emissions.

For this reason, public policies such as the Low Carbon Agriculture Plan (ABC Plan) foresee an increase in the area with ILPF adoption in Brazil by 5 million hectares by 2030. In addition to the 15 million target of pastures to be recovered, there are 20 million hectares.

To contribute to this result, the Associação Rede ILPF, a public-private partnership formed by Embrapa and private sector institutions, aims to expand the area with ILPF in Brazil from the current 15 million ha to 35 million by 2030.

To this end, explains the president of the ILPF Network Management Council and Embrapa researcher, Renato Rodrigues, the Association is, among other actions, working on the development of a certification of properties and products generated from the ILPF. The aim, he explains, is to create differentiated markets for production made through sustainable intensification.

Already thinking about this potential market, producers such as Arno Schneider, from Estância Ana Sophia, in Santo Antônio do Leverger (MT), are betting on the use of trees in ILPF. Currently he already owns 140 hectares of ILPF using teak. Most are in silvopastoral systems. In some new areas he is growing cassava between the rows until the trees are big enough not to be harmed by livestock.

The rural producer's experience, which is a reference in the state, was also visited during the technical tour of the Brazilian Soil Science Congress. The site has also hosted field days promoted by Embrapa Agrossilvopastoril and is frequently used in practical classes in higher education courses in agronomy and forestry engineering.