Cutting-edge technologies and systems promise to contribute to more sustainable practices but need academics, scientists, processors and farmers to join forces, according to speakers at the São Paulo School of Advanced Science held on the Jaboticabal campus of São Paulo State University.
Scientists from Brazil and Spain use sensors embedded in drones and agricultural machinery, as well as satellite imagery, to predict the ideal time to harvest, reduce CO2 emissions, and manage water use in plantations; work was presented at FAPESP Week Spain.
While studying a region of vineyards in the interior of the state of São Paulo, researchers observed that the most preserved sites had a greater diversity of birds and the ecological functions they perform.
Overuse of water resources in Brazil’s main agricultural frontier region, in conjunction with climate change, is reducing replenishment of the Urucuia aquifer and surface water bodies in the basin of a tributary of the São Francisco, the largest river in the Northeast.
Experiments conducted at the Federal University of the ABC showed that nitrogen-fixing bacteria play a key role in the reproduction of a legume native to Brazil.
Scientists at the University of São Paulo present this conclusion based on a systematic review of the literature in a paper published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
A startup supported by FAPESP has created a solution that promotes development and growth of the roots and aerial part of plants.
A study conducted in São Paulo state (Brazil) showed that farms with peer-to-peer certification had 58.8 organic items on average, while farms conventionally certified by third parties had 22.2.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and colleagues in other countries conducted a study showing that strigolactones – substances hitherto associated only with plant development – can directly influence flowering and fruiting.
The novel compound was developed in the lab but can be produced with technology already used by the industry, facilitating scale-up. It fixes phosphorus in the soil for future crop cycles and requires fewer applications. The researchers are seeking partners to mass-produce it for use in large-scale experiments.
Work carried out at the Genomics for Climate Change Research Center, with the support of FAPESP, revealed soil bacteria that act as natural fertilizers and have applications in agriculture.
In an article published in Nature Medicine, a group at the State University of Campinas stresses that Yanomami children are suffering the most severe nutritional deficit of any Indigenous community in the Americas and warns of long-term consequences for health.
After 48 hours of exposure to the pesticides imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin and glyphosate, stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris exhibited morphological and behavioral alterations that could weaken colonies, impair pollination and adversely affect food security.
Scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) verified in the field that a parasitoid wasp that neutralizes the Brown stink bug should ideally be released at intervals of 30 m.
The researchers showed that pressure has intensified since the 2018 announcement of a plan to create a development zone where the states of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia meet.
Around 90% of the sugarcane area in Brazil now uses natural enemies to combat agricultural pests; data were presented during FAPESP Week Illinois.
A startup supported by FAPESP is developing novel cultivars to offer growers a high-value-added option.
Bacteria, fungi and archaea living in the soil provide several ecosystem services, including carbon storage, and help restore native characteristics. The result contributes to advances in sustainable agriculture, one of the key points for this year’s G20 meetings.
Described in the journal Scientific Reports, the research was conducted at SPARCBio, a center established by FAPESP and biological control company Koppert at the University of São Paulo’s Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture.
The event will take place in São Carlos (São Paulo state, Brazil) with FAPESP’s support. Twenty participants from Brazil and 20 from other countries will be selected.
Considered an invasive species, Sus scrofa causes damage to farmers in an important part of Brazil’s savanna-like biome. The researchers analyzed 55 landscapes in São Paulo state, observing larger numbers of native mammals in areas with well-conserved vegetation and diversified crops, while native species richness was far lower in areas of monoculture.
The study, which was conducted by Brazilian researchers, supports sustainable agriculture and offers contributions to public policy formulation.
Agrosmart, a startup based in São Paulo state, presented its portfolio of solutions during COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai.
A Brazilian startup’s AI algorithms detect infestations, classify weeds and produce localized spraying files.
