On-farm data for assessing soybean yield-gap and its causes in Mato Grosso, Brazil

• Ano de defesa: 2023
• Autor(a) principal: Wadt, Lucas
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Biblioteca Digitais de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Palavras-chave em Português: Applied inputs; Atraso na colheita; Atraso no plantio; Banco de dados de campo; Características da área; Crop management; Fatores redutores de rendimento; Field traits; Harvest delay; Insumos aplicados; Manejo da cultura; On-farm database; Sowing delay; Yield-reducing factors
• Link de acesso: https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/11/11152/tde-11122023-155424/

Closing the agricultural yield gap is important to meet the demands of a growing population and changing dietary preferences, which are increasingly focused on higher protein intake per capita. Among the key crops essential for addressing this challenge, soybean holds a prominent position. Despite its significance in soybean production, there remains few published studies that describe the adopted crop management systems and elucidate the yield gap in Brazil, particularly in the Mato Grosso region, the country\'s major soybean-producing area, where a substantial yield gap of up to 50% is observed. In this study, we utilized an on-farm database comprising data from 108 soybean fields over two crop seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022). This dataset consisted of field-specific information on various factors, including field traits, crop management practices, applied inputs, and the incidence of yield-reducing factors. Our objective was to gain insights into the crop management practices employed and to quantify the soybean yield gap in the Mato Grosso region, with the aim of identifying the underlying causes behind such gaps. Our findings revealed a high adoption rate of the no-tillage system, ranging from 60% to 100% across different regions. Additionally, we observed extensive utilization of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Nutritional deficiencies were reported in 0% to 60% of the surveyed plots, while sowing and harvest delays were reported by 20% to 83% of farmers. Markedly, our results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the yield gap of 18,5 kg.ha-1 per day of sowing delay. Yet, factors such as fungicide application, soil nutrient levels, nutritional deficiencies, and waterlogging were also identified as significant contributors to the soybean yield gap.