Mathematical models applied in the evaluation of the results of the project "Efficiency of N use in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu with foliar inoculation of plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with 15N in the sustainable management of pastures"

• Grant number: 25/24841-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 19, 2026
• End date: February 22, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Reges Heinrichs
• Grantee: Matheus Haruichi Okazuka
• Supervisor: Borja Velazquez Marti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia (UPV), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/06835-4 - Nitrogen use efficiency in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu with foliar inoculation of plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with nitrogen isotope in sustainable pasture management, BP.IC

Abstract

As agriculture advances, new demands arise to increase productivity. In Brazil, the production of grasses such as pastures, maize, and sugarcane requires efficiency gains that depend centrally on soil science, which is decisive for the functioning of the soil-plant system and guides the management of nutrients and soil amendments, soil structure, acidity, and organic matter. Nevertheless, many studies still rely on conventional analyses that do not capture the complexity of the data. To raise the inferential level and practical usefulness of results, this proposal linked to the project "Nitrogen use efficiency in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu with foliar inoculation of plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with nitrogen isotope in sustainable pasture management" will be conducted jointly with Prof. Dr. Borja Velázquez Martí, University of Valencia, a specialist in mathematical modeling, biomass, and bioenergy. His participation adds methodological rigor, a systems perspective, and access to supportive infrastructure, while the project link ensures a parsimonious analytical design, cross-validation, information-criterion-based model selection, and biological coherence of parameters. Expected outcomes include: (i) solid interpretations of soil-plant relationships; (ii) operational indicators for managing soil fertility and nitrogen fertilization; (iii) reproducible scripts (R/Python); and (iv) strengthened cooperation between UNESP and the University of Valencia. In sum, the proposal addresses the need to align the centrality of soil science with state of analytics, reducing uncertainties, improving management decisions, and increasing the scientific and applied impact in forage systems.