Good practices in soil management increase production potential and carbon sequestration in crops

Established agricultural practices, applied in a more precise and targeted way, have contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture. This is the case of the agronomist and technical manager of the Aurora Group, Maurício De Bortoli, who has achieved positive results through the adoption of direct planting, the precise use of soil improvers and cover crops.

The Aurora Group farms, which cultivate 9.000 hectares of grains in Cruz Alta (RS), are part of Bayer's PRO Carbono program, which offers advantages to producers willing to expand their productive potential and increase carbon sequestration in the soil from adoption of sustainable agronomic practices.

For Maurício, greater productivity in farming is associated with investment in production processes with less environmental impact in the field. "Each region has its challenges, ours is the retention of water and nutrients in the soil. We irrigate and fertilize the plots, but the essential thing to achieve an area with high productive potential is investment in good agricultural practices and direct planting" , says the producer. "With the straw from the previous cycle, I can increase organic matter and improve the biological conditions of the soil, which are also essential for carbon retention during the harvest."

Winner of the National Soybean Maximum Productivity Challenge, carried out by the Brazilian Soy Strategic Committee (CESB), with a record of 123,88 bags of soybeans per hectare in the 2018/2019 harvest, the Aurora Group has managed to mitigate the impacts of dry spells and the stress from dry periods, which were common in Rio Grande do Sul in the last harvest. Green manure, which helps better infiltrate rainwater into the soil, is also adopted by the group. "This practice brings several benefits to farming, such as cultural effects against the incidence of weeds, protection against erosion and, now, we understand that it is also one of the ways to sequester carbon in farming", highlights De Bortoli.

Fertilization on Aurora Group farms begins in winter. In the off-season, the group grows a mix of cover crops in 30% of the area, grasses in another 30%, and, in the remainder, wheat, barley and oats. "This process is rotating with each cycle, which provides fertility and decompression of the soil", says Maurício. "Ten years ago, when we were not implementing all these good practices in the field, our average was 55 bags of soybeans per hectare. Today, with the evolution of genetics and research into more sustainable management in the field, we have managed to increase up to 30% of the potential productive of our soils, reaching an average of up to 80 bags per hectare", he concludes.

At Grupo Sementes Vitória, which grows soy on 3.378 hectares in Rio Verde (GO) and which is also part of the PRO Carbono program, the big difference was crop rotation. Patrícia Dias, agronomist and technical manager, highlights that she plants the oilseed in rotation with brachiaria, on 900 hectares, in the off-season. "We have been using this practice for four years, not only with the soil in mind, but also for cattle grazing. Through analysis of farm data by plot, we saw that this management, together with soil correction, represented a difference, on average , four to five more bags per hectare", reinforces Dias.

According to the agronomist, the use of cover vegetation was also an ally to mitigate losses caused by climate instability in the region. "In adverse situations, adequate soil management becomes even more important, as it helps in the root development of soybeans, exploring more of the soil in its profile. Last year, we had a dry period of 22 days, between November and December, and soybeans planted post-brachiaria were less impacted", comments Patrícia.

"Our soils are well cared for, we have been producing soybean seeds for many years, so our biggest concern is the correction to maintain the productive potential of the crop, such as the use of limestone to increase the levels of important nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, and the use of gypsum to adjust sulfur in the soil profile, for example", highlights the specialist.