Soybean
In 2022, we expanded our own soybean cultivation area to 1,300 hectares, compared to 910 hectares the previous year. When combined with the area cultivated by our partners, for which we partially share revenue, we reached 4,600 hectares dedicated to soybean cultivation.
The choice of soybean as the main rotational crop is directly linked to the agronomic and economic benefits it provides. From an agronomic perspective, there are significant gains from alternating the management of a grass crop with a legume, such as improvements in nitrogen fixation, the addition of nutritionally valuable organic residues to the soil, and the disruption of pest cycles common to sugarcane fields.
From an economic standpoint, crop rotation not only generates additional revenue but also helps fund part of the sugarcane planting costs.
Advantages of Soybean as an Intercrop:
– Absorption of soil preparation costs, including mechanized operations such as plowing, harrowing, and terracing.
– High level of soil conservation, preventing the loss of nutrients and particles due to erosion.
– Additional benefits such as biological nitrogen fixation, incorporation of organic matter, and preservation of soil quality, resulting in a reduction in the use of nitrogen fertilizers for sugarcane planting.