Publication guides producers on cotton fertilization

The work presents the nutritional needs of each crop that is part of the consortium - in addition to cotton, corn, sesame, peanuts, beans, watermelon and pumpkin - and the different fertilizers that can be used, aiming to contribute to the sustainability of the system. 

Green manure, composting, biofertilizers, bokashi fertilization, in addition to direct planting and minimum cultivation are some of the points covered in the publication.

“Adequate soil management is essential in agroecological production systems, especially when it comes to fertilization in intercropped crops, because, in these systems, fertilizing does not simply mean providing the soil with the chemical elements that the plants will absorb, but rather building fertility sustainable over the years, while making the environment conducive to plant health and the development of a beneficial microbiota in the rhizosphere (region of the soil influenced by roots)”, says the document authored by researchers Magna Costa, Rosa Freire and Maria Auxiliadora Barros.

According to the authors, in the case of agroecological consortiums of cotton with food crops, it is necessary to know the nutritional requirements of the intercropped plants, in addition to the management strategies to be adopted, as well as the appropriate organic fertilizer to optimize productivity. “From this perspective, it is important to know how much, how and when to use fertilizer, always being alert to the signals given both by the intercropped plants and by the soil”, warn the researchers.

The publication is aligned with the 2030 agenda through the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 12 – Sustainable Production and Consumption.

Click here to access the publication.