Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil

Crop rotation with species diversification allows to increase yield, however, there is few information on the profitability of this practice. This study aimed to determine whether crop rotation systems are more productive and economically advantageous than double-cropping rotations without diversifi...

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Main Authors: Tiago Santos Telles, Gabriel Eiji Higashi, Bruno Volsi, Ivan Bordin, Adonis Moreira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325004946
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author Tiago Santos Telles
Gabriel Eiji Higashi
Bruno Volsi
Ivan Bordin
Adonis Moreira
author_facet Tiago Santos Telles
Gabriel Eiji Higashi
Bruno Volsi
Ivan Bordin
Adonis Moreira
author_sort Tiago Santos Telles
collection DOAJ
description Crop rotation with species diversification allows to increase yield, however, there is few information on the profitability of this practice. This study aimed to determine whether crop rotation systems are more productive and economically advantageous than double-cropping rotations without diversification in subtropical conditions. The experiment was conducted in a typical Oxisol of the Caiuá sandstone area, southern Brazil, from the agricultural year 2014–2015 to 2019–2020. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with five treatments and four blocks. The treatments consisted of four crop rotations with different levels of species diversification compared to control treatment with Brachiaria-soybean rotation, all of which were managed under no-till. Yield, revenue, total cost, and profit were considered to determine the profitability of the agricultural systems. All agricultural systems resulted economic losses, probably due to occurrences of the ‘El Niño-Southern Oscillation’. Inputs represented approximately 60 % of the total cost, mainly due to expenses of fertilizers. In the soils of the Caiuá sandstone area, fertilizer costs—which represent an average of 25 % of the total cost—compromise the profitability of agricultural systems. Considering the possibility of the grain storage and future sale of corn and soybean at periods with better price, most of the evaluated agricultural systems could show economic profit, mainly in more diversified crop rotations systems. While all systems showed economic losses due to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and high fertilizer costs, strategic grain storage and delayed sales could reverse losses, particularly in diversified rotations.
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spelling doaj-art-cf5db90410b141589a2de8119f5b71da2025-08-20T03:56:04ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-08-012210212310.1016/j.jafr.2025.102123Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern BrazilTiago Santos Telles0Gabriel Eiji Higashi1Bruno Volsi2Ivan Bordin3Adonis Moreira4Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 375, 86047-902, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil; Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil; Corresponding author. Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 375, 86047-902, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 375, 86047-902, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil; Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, Paraná, BrazilInstituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 375, 86047-902, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil; Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, Paraná, BrazilInstituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Km 375, 86047-902, Londrina, Paraná, BrazilEmpresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Rodovia Carlos João Strass, 86085-981, Londrina, Paraná, BrazilCrop rotation with species diversification allows to increase yield, however, there is few information on the profitability of this practice. This study aimed to determine whether crop rotation systems are more productive and economically advantageous than double-cropping rotations without diversification in subtropical conditions. The experiment was conducted in a typical Oxisol of the Caiuá sandstone area, southern Brazil, from the agricultural year 2014–2015 to 2019–2020. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with five treatments and four blocks. The treatments consisted of four crop rotations with different levels of species diversification compared to control treatment with Brachiaria-soybean rotation, all of which were managed under no-till. Yield, revenue, total cost, and profit were considered to determine the profitability of the agricultural systems. All agricultural systems resulted economic losses, probably due to occurrences of the ‘El Niño-Southern Oscillation’. Inputs represented approximately 60 % of the total cost, mainly due to expenses of fertilizers. In the soils of the Caiuá sandstone area, fertilizer costs—which represent an average of 25 % of the total cost—compromise the profitability of agricultural systems. Considering the possibility of the grain storage and future sale of corn and soybean at periods with better price, most of the evaluated agricultural systems could show economic profit, mainly in more diversified crop rotations systems. While all systems showed economic losses due to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and high fertilizer costs, strategic grain storage and delayed sales could reverse losses, particularly in diversified rotations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325004946Glycine maxZea maysConservation agricultureAgricultural economy
spellingShingle Tiago Santos Telles
Gabriel Eiji Higashi
Bruno Volsi
Ivan Bordin
Adonis Moreira
Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Glycine max
Zea mays
Conservation agriculture
Agricultural economy
title Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil
title_full Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil
title_fullStr Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil
title_full_unstemmed Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil
title_short Diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern Brazil
title_sort diversified crop rotations enhance yield stability but require strategic grain storage for profitability in southern brazil
topic Glycine max
Zea mays
Conservation agriculture
Agricultural economy
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325004946
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AT brunovolsi diversifiedcroprotationsenhanceyieldstabilitybutrequirestrategicgrainstorageforprofitabilityinsouthernbrazil
AT ivanbordin diversifiedcroprotationsenhanceyieldstabilitybutrequirestrategicgrainstorageforprofitabilityinsouthernbrazil
AT adonismoreira diversifiedcroprotationsenhanceyieldstabilitybutrequirestrategicgrainstorageforprofitabilityinsouthernbrazil