Note from the publishers: The complete work is available in CD-ROM from APDC and is entitled - ‘Cotton monoculture from Soil Preparation for Direct drilling under Dry Matter: A Complete Conversion, Established in 9 years, by the Agro-Industrial Group ‘Maeda’ in Central Brazil’.

Abstract

CIRAD-CA and the private agro-industrial group MAEDA joined forces from 1994 with the objective to improve the agronomic, technical and economic performances of the cotton crop (of which MAEDA is the main Brazilian producer) and to minimize its impacts on the environment.

After 9 years of intense collaboration between the two institutions a balance of the results, due to applied research, shows that the progressive incorporation and adoption of the crop direct drilling systems under vegetative cover resulted simultaneously in: a 46% increase in the cultivated area of other large Central Brazilian eco-regions; a change in the nature of production which was strongly diversified and passed from cotton dominance in 1994/5 to ample grain dominance (soybean, sorghum, millet and ‘Pé de galinha’ - Eleusine indica - fowl-foot or goose grass) in 2002/3; stimulation of yield increases of the principal crops soybean and cotton - 25,5 and 45% respectively; and production of 3 crops in 2 years instead of 2.

Production costs decreased gradually in the economic plan thanks to progress made and the domination of direct drilling and, in spite of a very difficult scenario, the net profits and return on investment were multiplied by more than 3; the machinery fleet was reduced by half; the number of contracted services dropped 71% and fuel consumption 70%.

In respect to the impact of direct drilling systems on the soil, soil erosion and related phenomena are now well controlled. Also, using improved systems and better biomass suppliers - particularly at the end of the rainy season and in the dry season - allowed efficient carbon sequestration; from 0,5 to over 2,5 t/ha/year in function of the nature of the systems and the edapho-climate conditions.

Future prospects for cotton production in rotation with grain crops are linked with the double ambition to produce more, with less chemical inputs and to supply healthy products totally free from pesticides in a continually more protected environment.