Ribas do Rio Pardo (MS) doubles area cultivated with soybeans

There is an expansion in soybean crops in the municipality of Ribas do Rio Pardo, which in just one year increased the cultivated area by 48%. Currently, the municipality, located 102 kilometers from Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul, has 21 thousand hectares.

The researcher at Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, Julio Cesar Salton, highlights the efficiency of the production system adopted by the municipality, which contributes to the recovery of degraded pastures and the improvement of soil quality, contributing to the sustainability of the region.

“The cultivation of soy in a rotational system with pastures is known as Integration-Crop-Livestock (ILP) and is widely recommended by Embrapa”, adds Salton. According to the researcher, among the numerous benefits of ILP, the highlights are the improvement in the physical structure of the soil, due to the effect of the pasture roots, the soil's organic matter content, in addition to the recycling and availability of nutrients. He also emphasizes that “ILP results in a very large benefit in terms of soil quality and productive capacity”.

Salton also highlights the region's water potential, which is a great advantage for soybean production, as it allows the use of irrigation on some properties, which provides greater security in relation to productivity.

“In some properties in the Ribas region, despite the medium to sandy textured soils, crop productivity exceeded expectations. Especially when compared to some other regions of Mato Grosso do Sul, traditional in soybean cultivation, where there was even a crop failure”, emphasizes Salton.

According to the municipal secretary of Economic Development of Ribas do Rio Pardo, Diógenes José Martins, the municipality has 1,7 million hectares and is the second largest in area in the State. “Our goal is to reach 2020, with around 40 thousand hectares of soybean crops”, added Martins.

Field Day - The use of ILP on properties in Ribas do Rio Pardo was the theme of the 2nd Edition of the Field Day on Agricultural Frontiers, held at the Cachoeirinha farm, owned by AF Agronegócios, 15 km from the city. The event took place on March 14, the date that marks the end of the soybean harvest in the region and the beginning of the interval, before new planting.

Among the topics covered, some were: "Soil quality in production systems", researcher at Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, Julio Cesar Salton; “High technical and economic visibility: How to obtain results from the ILP System in the municipality of Ribas do Rio Pardo”, MS Integração, Dirceu Luiz Bronch; “Economic viability of the ILP System in the Ribas do Rio Pardo region”, MS Integração, Roney S. Pedroso. During the afternoon, visits were made to stations that presented nutritional and management models for production systems; harvest dynamics of soybeans, corn and off-season beans in an irrigated system.