Case study of zero-tillage organic soybean production in Brazil
J. N. Landers A E , M. Challiol B , L. Vilela C and S. Lanz DA Gebana Brasil Ltd and Associação de Plantio Direto no Cerrado, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
B Agricultural Production, Gebana Brasil Ltd and Associação Brasil Solidária, Capanema, Paraná, Brazil.
C Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária Cerrados Centre, Planaltina Distrito Federal, Brazil.
D Gebana AG, Hafnerstrasse 7, CH-8005, Zurich, Switzerland.
E Corresponding author. Email: john.landers@uol.com.br
Soil Research 54(2) 166-172 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR15037
Submitted: 3 February 2015 Accepted: 27 November 2015 Published: 22 March 2016
Abstract
In the absence of the herbicide option, weed control is the major constraint to organic soybean production in southern Brazil and eastern Paraguay. A joint entrepreneurial initiative introduced innovative 6000-V electro-shock desiccation for pre-plant weed control in organic soybeans, under zero-tillage–conservation agriculture, complemented by already-proven inter-row cultivation and biological control methods for insects and diseases. To develop an efficient operating procedure, a field trial with the electro-shock treatment was carried out and showed 78.6% overall weed control 28 days after electro-shock treatment, and no significant difference between operating speeds of 3.42, 9.49 and 16.57 km h−1. Further research is required to improve equipment performance and prove the medium- and long-term economic and social benefits to policy-makers, in order to justify environmental services payments for this environmentally friendly system.
Additional keywords: biological control, cover crop, electro-shock, ground-driven horizontal disc, weed control.
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