The reliance on soil acidity correctives and mineral fertilizers poses a threat to food production due to the finite nature of these resources and their susceptibility to price volatility from importation. Soil remineralizers have emerged as a sustainable alternative. This study assessed silicate agrominerals as soil remineralizers to replace limestone, gypsum, and conventional fertilizers in a no-tillage system. Conducted in a tropical climate on sandy/medium-textured Ultisol, twelve treatments (combinations of liming, gypsum, mineral fertilization, and remineralizer) were tested for their effects on soybean and sorghum agronomic traits. Applying a remineralizer at 2500 kg ha⁻¹ enhanced soybean productivity by 15% and sorghum by 35% in succession, along with increases in P, S, Ca, Mg, sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (V%) in the 0–0.20 m layer and organic matter in the 0–0.40 m layer, benefiting soil microbiological parameters, with the treatment combining all four products improving soil fertility; however, for better crop productivity, split applications appear to be an alternative to avoid nutrient imbalance. Due to the finer particle size of the remineralizer, which allows faster nutrient release, further research is recommended to investigate the long-term impacts on soil microbiota dynamics, optimal doses and combinations, and economic viability across various soil types and climates.

The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria combined with Integrated Agricultural Production Systems (IAPS) has resulted in productivity increases in the Brazilian Cerrado region. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of inoculating or not inoculating Azospirillum brasilense on corn and palisade grass seeds (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu) on growth, yield components, and dry matter yield of the aerial part and grains in an Oxisol cropped in ICLS and under a no-tillage system for 12 years in an irrigated area. The experimental design was a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments were composed of corn (monoculture) with inoculated seed, corn (monoculture) without inoculated seed, corn + palisade grass (intercropping) without inoculation, corn + palisade grass (intercropping) with inoculation in both seeds, corn + palisade grass (intercropping) with inoculation of corn seeds, and corn + palisade grass (intercropping) with inoculation of grass seeds. At the end of each production cycle, the yield and components of corn, corn straw biomass, and dry matter of palisade grass were evaluated. Considering the optimal conditions of soil provided by liming and fertilization at sowing and nitrogen applied in topdressing, the application of A. brasilense in corn seeds did not show its potential. Intercropped systems inoculated or not with A. brasilense on corn seeds increase grain yield, dry matter production of grass, and nutrient accumulation in the straw, providing greater sustainability to the Cerrado no-tillage system.

This study aimed to evaluate which of five commonly used methodologies for agricultural gypsum application in no-tillage systems under tropical agricultural conditions is the most efficient in sandy soils. The evaluation focused on soil chemical and physical properties, nutrient movement through the soil profile, and crop productivity. Methods: Soil layers of 0–0.20 m and 0.20–0.40 m were analyzed. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, and means were compared using Student’s t-test (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate analysis were also performed. Results: An increase in calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) contents was observed at the analyzed soil depths, along with a reduction in subsurface aluminum saturation (m%). Gypsum application also increased the dry matter yield of cover crops. Conclusions: For sandy soils under no-tillage systems with high nutrient export, aiming to improve soil fertility and aggregation, the gypsum application methodologies proposed by Caires and Guimarães or Raij and collaborators are recommended. According to multivariate analysis, these methodologies showed the best correlation with base saturation (V%), a key indicator of soil fertility. Additionally, the Caires and Guimarães method demonstrated a stronger correlation with maize productivity. However, none of the evaluated methodologies increased soybean yields.

Pressure on agroecosystems is increasing with rising agricultural demand, pushing Brazilian agriculture toward more sustainable systems that prioritize soil health. This study aimed to evaluate whether long-term no-till management and inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense influenced soil bioindicators; chemical, biological, and enzymatic attributes; and how these attributes correlated with crop productivity in a rotational system. The experiment also assessed the residual effects of phosphate fertilization (initially applied in 2013 and reapplied in 2020) and its interaction with inoculation on soil phosphorus fractions and crop performance. This study was conducted on Dystrophic Red Oxisol in the low-altitude Cerrado region under 20 years of no-tillage management, using a randomized block design in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme: five phosphorus doses (0, 30, 60, 120, and 240 kg ha⁻¹ P₂O₅) and inoculated or non-inoculated grasses, with four replicates. The results showed that inoculation influenced dry matter (DM) production and nutrient cycling, improving soil health despite lower fertility and total DM. The correlation between bioindicators and productivity suggests that soil health indicators can be used to monitor system sustainability. No consistent effects of inoculation or phosphate fertilization were observed for some crop components, indicating complex interactions under long-term conservationist systems.

The adoption of integrated production systems may be an alternative for improving soil health and increasing production. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in soil fertility and microbial metabolism, as well as the impact on soybean productivity, in different conservation systems in contrast to the conventional system, after four years of adopting integrated systems. The experimental design used was a randomized block design with seven treatments and three replications. The treatments included different species of forage grasses, the no-tillage soybean–maize system in succession, and conventional planting. It was found that after four years of using integrated systems, the changes in soil health were small, indicating that these effects are seen over the long term. Soil chemistry showed that the use of forage grasses is essential for improving fertility, with a focus on phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, base sum, and cation exchange capacity, which is reflected in the high soybean productivity in treatments with forage grasses, especially the use of Paiaguás and Piatã grasses. Even with slow changes in soil health, adopting integrated systems is an important practice for tropical sandy soils, as visible improvements in fertility were observed, which are reflected in productivity gains.

A crescente necessidade de ter sistemas de produção agrícolas sustentáveis, faz com que o agronegócio busque estratégias para atender o aumento da demanda por matérias-primas animais e vegetais, impulsionando o maior uso da terra. O trabalho teve como objetivoavaliar o efeito residual da adubação fosfatada sobre o crescimento e produtividade do milho com e sem inoculação de A. brasilense e da produção de massa seca do capim-marandu em consórcio. O experimento foi desenvolvido em área exprimental pertencente à FE/UNESP, em Selvíria, MS. O solo foi classificado como Latossolo Vermelho distrófico típico argiloso. Os experimentos de consórcio de milho com U. brizantha cv. Marandu (capim-marandu) foram desenvolvidos nas safras de 2013/14 e 2015/16. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 5 x 2. Avaliou-se o efeito residual de níveis de adubação fosfatada (0; 30; 60; 120 e 240 kg ha-1 de P2O5), aplicados a lanço na semeadura da aveia preta em junho de 2013, com ou sem a inoculação das sementes de milho com A. brasilense. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, a inoculação das sementes de milho por A. brasilense e a adubação fosfatada residual não resultaram em efeitos positivos sobre o crescimento, componentes da produção e produtividade de grãos de milho consorciado com capim-marandu. Por sua vez, o capim-marandu foi beneficiado pela inoculação, nas sementes de milho, produzindo maior massa de parte aérea em áreas inoculadas com A. brasilense.