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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Soil, Water & Air Resources Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #353396
Title: Soil health assessment and maintenance in Central and South Central Brazil

Author
item MENDES, LEDA - Embrapa
item TORMENA, CASSIO - University Of Maringa
item CHERUBIN, MAURICIO - The Center Of Nuclear Energy In Agriculture
item Karlen, Douglas

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/14/2017
Publication Date: 6/20/2018
Citation: Mendes, L.C., Tormena, C.A., Cherubin, M.R., Karlen, D.L. 2018. Soil health assessment and maintenance in Central and South Central Brazil. In: Reicosky, D, editor. Managing Soil Health for Sustainable Agriculture. Cambridge, UK:Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. p. 379-415.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Brazil has evolved from a food insecure country in the early 1970´s into one of the most important food producers and exporters in the world. During the past 45 years, a science-based advanced tropical agriculture was developed throughout Brazil. Production has increased steadily and productivity gains have fostered a significant land-saving effect. However, wide variation in the landscape, soils, climate, and plant diversity presents challenges in applying soil health principles for enhanced management practices. These challenges have been overcome by the application of conservation agriculture (CA), an integrated, holistic farming system that improves soil functioning and consequently crop growth and yield. Large-scale adoption of no-tillage (NT) and cover crop production were important milestones leading to successful CA in Brazil. Furthermore, intensification of agriculture through integrated crop-, livestock-, and forest systems has also had an important role in the last ten years. Recent changes in sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) management with the adoption of green-cane harvest, has also increased C and nutrient inputs to soil, and positively affected soil biology and overall soil health.