Major Brazilian farmer cuts fertilizer due to shortage

One of Brazil’s largest farmers plans to cut fertilizer use by a quarter next season, relying on more precise applications and soil testing to maintain crop yields.

SLC Agricola SA, which farms an area larger than Delaware with soybeans, corn and cotton, will likely use 20% to 25% less fertilizer in 2022 and 2023 without jeopardizing yields, CEO Aurelio Pavinato said. .

The decision on where and if the cuts will be applied will be based on soil tests and precision agriculture, tools that the company has already used for several years.

SLC’s plan shows how growers in the agricultural superpower are preparing to deal with global crop nutrient shortages in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has caused prices to skyrocket and threatens to reduce crop production staples exported all over the world.

The prospect of lower yields has raised concerns that crop prices will hit new records, adding pressure on food supplies to developing countries.

“It is possible to reduce fertilizers in a year and have zero impact on productionPavinato said in an interview. Fertilizer reserves in the soil from previous seasons will lessen the impact of applying less, he said.

Most farmers will likely adopt the same strategy, with lower demand bringing the market back into balance, he said. Of the three key crop nutrients, SLC has secured 83% of the potassium it plans to apply next season and half of the phosphorous, but has not yet purchased nitrogen.

In the Cerrado, where the main cereal belt is located, the lack of nutrients in the soil makes farmers more dependent on fertilizers, said Flavio Bonini, technical services manager for Mosaic. Co. in Brazil.

Only about 15% of Brazil’s agricultural areas can be sustained without fertilizer, Bonini said. The estimate is based on figures collected from farms where Mosaic performs soil testing for its clients. “About 80% of the agricultural areas in Brazil are still highly dependent on fertilizers.”

On farms owned by Sementes Falcao, an agricultural and seed company based in Passo Fundo, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, one of the richest soil areas in Brazil, the fertilizer clipping tests were successful. The company spent five seasons using only the nutrient reserves in the soil, according to its president Humberto Falcao.

“Production may have decreased a bit, but profitability was maintained.” said. “Brazil could go a year without fertilizer, which could reduce costs and its dependence on imports. But of course you need a soil test”.