Mary Arends-Kuenning, Tiago Telles, and Wander Plassa da Silva
In our project, we will examine the adoption of integrated soil and water conservation practices in Brazil. One of those practices is no-till, which is more widely used in Brazil than in the U.S. In the U.S. in 2022, no-till was used on 35 percent of cropland (USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture). In 2017, no-till accounted for 61 percent of cropland in Brazil (Fuentes-Llanillo et al. 2021). In Paraná state, Brazil, the percentage is even higher, with 78.9 percent of land area for temporary crops in no-till (Mantovani et al. 2024). Brazil is an important country to study to understand the adoption of no-till and other conservation agriculture practices, with direct applications to the U.S. because they are both major producers of soybean and corn.
The collaborative research project will be jointly led by Dr. Mary Arends-Kuenning of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Dr. Tiago Telles of the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná (IDR-Paraná). Dr. Wander Plassa da Silva of the Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL) completes the research team.
No-till reduces soil disturbance, lowers operational costs, and enhances soil quality through increased carbon content. However, no-till alone is insufficient to ensure soil and water conservation. Complementary conservation agricultural (CA) practices such as crop rotation, permanent soil cover, contour farming, and the construction of terraces are essential. However, there is limited research about the adoption of these CA practices by rural producers in Brazil and the socioeconomic factors that influence adoption. We will examine the socioeconomic and spatial dynamics of soil and water conservation practices across Brazil, with a particular focus on the state of Paraná. We will also examine the impacts of these practices on environmental sustainability and agricultural productivity. Our hypotheses are that households that adopt comprehensive CA practices will experience significant improvements in environmental stability and in agricultural productivity compared to those that practice conventional agriculture or no-till methods alone. Areas where adoption of CA is higher will experience less erosion and greater economic benefits compared to other areas.
To carry out our research, we will use the 2006 and 2017 Brazilian Agricultural Censuses (IBGE 2024) to understand national trends. The Census data capture detailed information about farmers' socioeconomic profiles, property characteristics, and conservation practices. Following this, the study uses a survey collected by Dr. Telles in 2022-2024 in Paraná to analyze the specific factors influencing the adoption of conservation practices, especially no-till farming, by local producers.
By analyzing national and regional trends, the research will identify areas with low adoption rates, highlight benchmark regions, and examine the profiles of farmers who adopt or do not adopt conservation measures. The findings will provide critical data to support scientific research, technological advancements, and policy interventions, promoting awareness and sustainable agricultural practices. Improved adoption of conservation practices could reduce soil erosion and increase productivity, enhancing food security and environmental resilience. The research findings will have wide applications to other countries that produce corn and soybeans, including the U.S.
References:
Fuentes-Llanillo, Rafael, Tiago Santos Telles, Dimas Soares Junior, Thadeu Rodrigues de Melo, Theodor Friedrich, Amir Kassam. (2021). Expansion of no-tillage practice in conservation agriculture in Brazil. Soil and Tillage Research Volume 208, 104877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2020.104877.
Gomes Mantovanti, Gabriela, Ivan Bordin, Tiago Pellini, and Tiago Santos Telles. 2024. No-tillage and conservation agriculture adoption by farmers in Southern Brazil. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology. Volume 67(spe1): e24230806. DOI: 10.1590/1678-4324-pssm-2024230806
USDA. Census of Agriculture. Tables 9 and 47. List of Reports and Publications | 2022 Census of Agriculture | USDA/NASS