Exploring high-intensity cropping rotations for improved yield and economic returns

Autor(es)

Canisares, Lucas P. ; Joris, Helio W. ; Teixeira, Salathiel A. ; Kapp Junior, Claudio ; Souza, Lucas F. N. ; Pinheiro Junior, Carlos R. ; Carvalho, Martha L. ; Peper, Alberto M. ; Galvan, Jonatas ; Cherubin, Mauricio R.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY; v. 169, p. 12-pg., 2025-05-15.

Resumo

Globally, increasing the intensity and diversity of cropping systems has been pointed as one of the potential solutions for reconciling food production and climate change mitigation. Intensifying agroecosystems may require changes in agronomic practices (e.g. sowing dates and hybrids) potentially increasing the risks of specific crop productivity in the short term. However, it can increase the productivity at the system level considering the use of more crops in each time and space. The specificity of the level of intensification and the species included in the crop rotation plan must be regionality tested and validated. We aimed to assess the effects of intensification and diversification on grain yield, amount of carbon (C) left in the field as biomass and economic performance in four-year field experiment using a soybean (Glycine max)-maize (Zea mays) systems in southern Brazil. A field experiment evaluated different cropping systems, including a low-intensity typical system for the region (LI), a medium-intensity (MI) system with an additional common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) as a second summer crop, and a high-intensity (HI) system with an extra maize as a second summer crop, across a four-year rotation. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) was used as the winter crop during years without a second summer crop, while black oat (Avena strigosa) was sowed as a winter cover crop in other years of crop rotation. In the MI and HI treatments, the same cropping sequence was followed, but the black oat was replaced with a mix of cover crop species (MI + Mix and HI + Mix). All the treatments were mirrored against the year of crop rotation, so each year of the crop rotation was present every year of the experiment. The experimental design used a randomized complete block setup with three replications. Soybean yield varied significantly across different cropping systems and previous crops. In particular, soybeans sowed after cover crops in high-intensity (HI) and medium-intensity (MI) systems yielded an average of 5.5 Mg ha-1 , which was 16 % higher than soybeans sowed after wheat in any system. Similarly, maize grown after a mix of cover crops in the HI system produced 14.3 Mg ha-1 , 12 % higher than maize grown after oats in the LI and MI systems. For common beans, yields reached 4.2 Mg ha-1 in the HI system with two growing seasons. Cumulatively, the HI and HI + Mix systems achieved an average maize yield of 17.8 Mg ha-1 over the four-year rotation, compared to 13.1 Mg ha-1 in other systems, reflecting the benefits of higher cropping intensification aiming maize grain production. The profitability of the cropping systems was also higher in MI, MI+Mix, HI and HI+Mix, with an average increase of approximately 1500 USD over the LI system. The study demonstrates that increasing the intensity and diversity of cropping systems can increase grain yield and economic returns in southern Brazil. While intensification may pose risks to specific crop productivity in the short term, it provides significant system-wide benefits, such as higher overall carbon input from crop residues and better economic performance. These findings highlight the importance of regionally tailored crop rotation plans and agronomic practices to optimize the benefits of intensified agroecosystems. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 23/08814-9 - MONS: Mecanismos de emissão de óxido nitroso em solo tropical
• Beneficiário: Lucas Pecci Canisares
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 24/23520-4 - Custo da terra para a produção de etanol de cana-de-açúcar no Brasil
• Beneficiário: Carlos Roberto Pinheiro Junior
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 21/10573-4 - Centro de Pesquisa de Carbono em Agricultura Tropical (CCARBON)
• Beneficiário: Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Centros de Pesquisa, Inovação e Difusão - CEPIDs
• Processo FAPESP: 24/15775-2 - Entendendo a emissão de óxido nitroso de sistemas agrícolas através de características ecofisiológicas funcionais dos microrganismos oxidadores de amônia
• Beneficiário: Lucas Pecci Canisares
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 23/11337-8 - Efeito da mudança de uso da terra e das práticas de manejo da cana-de-açúcar no C do solo, na saúde do solo e nos serviços ecossistêmicos associados: uma síntese de evidências
• Beneficiário: Carlos Roberto Pinheiro Junior
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado