Tillage systems on annual crops in Brazil: figures from the 2006 Agricultural Census

Resumen

Data on no-tillage in Brazil in the last 30 years have been based on estimates made by the Brazilian No-Tillage and Irrigation Farmers’ Federation (FEBRAPDP). Secondary data have also been used, supplied by the Rural Extension Service of Rio Grande do Sul state (EMATER-RS/ASCAR), the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Service of Santa Catarina state (EPAGRI), the Institute of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension of Paraná state (EMATER-PR), the Coordination of Integral Technical Assistance of São Paulo state (CATI-SP), the MS Foundation for Research and Diffusion of Agricultural Technologies (MS FOUNDATION), and the Brazilian Savanna No-tillage Farmers’ Association (APDC). More reliable data on the use of no-tillage and other soil tillage systems for annual crops in Brazil were made available in 2009 after publication of the 2006 Agricultural Census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). While previous sources reported that the surface area of no-tillage in Brazil was 25.6 million hectares (Mha) in 2006, the present study, based on special tabulations presented by the 2006 Agricultural Census, indicates that no-tillage was used on approximately 17.8 Mha of annual crops. Furthermore, the 2006 Agricultural Census reported that minimum tillage was used on 3.8 Mha, a combination of minimum and conventional tillage was used on 3.1 Mha, and that conventional tillage was used on 11.8 Mha, amounting to a national total of 36.6 Mha of annual crops.