Soil Science and Sustainable Farming: Paving the Way for Food Security

The review titled "Soil Science and Sustainable Farming: Paving the Way for Food Security" explores the critical role of soil science in achieving sustainable agriculture and ensuring global food security. The review focuses on key aspects of soil science that contribute to sustainable farming practices, including soil health assessment, soil management practices, soil conservation strategies, soil amendments and nutrient management, and soil-water interactions. Each subheading delves into specific topics within soil science, highlighting their importance in promoting soil fertility, preventing erosion and land degradation, balancing crop nutrition, and optimizing irrigation and water use efficiency. By understanding and implementing these soil science principles, farmers can adopt sustainable practices that enhance soil productivity, preserve natural resources, and support long-term food security.

Microclimate and development of Coffea canephora intercropped with Carica papaya: measures to mitigate climate change

Intercropped systems with Conilon coffee might provide a better environment for coffee production. The aim of this study was to assess the microclimate and development of Conilon coffee intercropped with papaya trees. Papaya was planted with spacing of 3.20 x 2.40 m. The coffee trees were planted after eight months, with spacing of 3.20 x 1.60 m, in-between papaya trees (in the same row). The measurements were taken 0, 40 and 80 cm away from the coffee plants, both in the north and south direction. Concomitantly, an adjoining full sunlight coffee system (not intercropped) was also assessed. The measurements included atmospheric parameters (temperature, irradiance, and relative humidity) and vegetative parameters for the coffee plants (leaf area, relative chlorophyll index, length of plagiotropic branches, length of orthotopic branches and number of nodes) in three periods of the year. The intercropped system of Conilon coffee and papaya trees led to a decrease in both irradiance and temperature, and higher means of relative humidity during daytime in all the periods assessed, which contributes to a better environment for coffee cultivation. The shadow provided by papaya trees in the coffee plants contributed to a higher leaf area but did not affect neither the growth of both plagiotropic and orthotopic branches, nor the number of nodes and the etiolation. The intercropped system of Conilon coffee and papaya trees may be potentially used as a farming system to mitigate climate change.

Family farming in times of Covid-19 / Agricultura familiar em tempos de Covid-19

Abstract Family farming plays a vital role in the global food supply. The mobility restriction measures adopted internationally to contain Covid-19 are necessary to control the pandemic progress. However, they can impair food production and distribution. This paper aims to discuss the effects of the Covid-19 containment measures on the production and distribution of family farming food, and strategies to strengthen this sector. Sanitary and social distancing requirements, the interruption of supply to institutional markets, the closure of local farmers' markets, or people's declining food demand are hampering family farming food production's flow and shrinking family farmers' income. This situation can jeopardize the food sovereignty and nutritional security of the population in the medium and long term. Access to Personal Protective Equipment, the reorganization of local farmers' markets, investment in new technologies for direct commercialization, guarantee of minimum income, and the strengthening/expansion of institutional food purchases are some of the strategies that can contribute to overcome the new challenges imposed on family farming as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We conclude the article by arguing that the support to and enhancement of the family farming sector are strategic to ensure food supply and to strengthen food and nutrition sovereignty and security.

RESUMO A agricultura familiar desempenha um importante papel no abastecimento alimentar mundial. As medidas de restrição de mobilidade adotadas internacionalmente visando a contenção da Covid-19 são necessárias para controlar o avanço da pandemia; no entanto, podem ter um efeito negativo na produção e na distribuição de alimentos. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir as implicações das medidas de contenção da Covid-19 na produção e distribuição de alimentos da agricultura familiar e possíveis estratégias para fortalecer esse setor. As exigências sanitárias e de distanciamento social, a interrupção no fornecimento a mercados institucionais e o fechamento de feiras livres e/ou diminuição na demanda por parte da população estão dificultando o escoamento da produção de alimentos da agricultura familiar e diminuindo a renda dos(as) agricultores(as). Essa situação pode, a médio e longo prazo, ter um efeito negativo na soberania e segurança alimentar e nutricional da população. O acesso a equipamentos de proteção individual, a reorganização de feiras livres, o investimento em novas tecnologias para a comercialização direta, a garantia de renda mínima e o fortalecimento/ampliação da compra institucional de alimentos são algumas das estratégias que podem contribuir para a superação dos desafios impostos à agricultura familiar em consequência da Covid-19. Apoiar e desenvolver esse setor são medidas estratégicas que devem ser adotadas para garantir a oferta de alimentos para a população e fortalecer a soberania e segurança alimentar e nutricional.

Bromatological characteristics of Macrotyloma axillare as a function of combined supply of phosphorus and calcium / Características bromatológicas de Macrotyloma axillare em função do suprimento combinado de fósforo e cálcio

The supply of nutrients to forage legumes is significant for their nutritional quality. The study aimed to evaluate the bromatological characteristics of the legume Macrotyloma axillare in response to the combined application of phosphorus and calcium. The study was conducted in a greenhouse on a Red Yellow Ultisol. A fractionated 52 factorial was used, with 13 different combinations of phosphorus and calcium application rates (P-Ca): 0-0; 0-20; 0-40; 100-10; 100-30; 200-0; 200-20; 200-40; 300-10; 300-30; 400-0; 400-20; and 400-40 mg dm-3. Experimental units were set in a randomized block design, with four replications. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and crude protein (CP) in the leaves and branches were determined in two harvests. In both harvests of the legume we observed that the ADF, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin contents in the leaves did not show isolated or combined responses to phosphorus and calcium rates. It was concluded that the combined supply of phosphorus and calcium did not interfere in the nutritional quality of the legume. Calcium supplied alone interfered only the NDF content and phosphorus supplied of the CP of the leaves. Phosphorus rates of 31.5 mg dm-3 and 28.2 mg dm-3 were responsible for the lower NDF content in the leaves and the higher hemicellulose content in the branches, respectively.(AU)

O fornecimento de nutrientes para as leguminosas forrageiras é importante para sua qualidade nutricional. O estudo objetivou avaliar as características bromatológicas da Macrotyloma axillare em resposta a aplicação combinada de doses de fósforo e cálcio. O estudo foi desenvolvido em uma casa de vegetação sob um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo. Utilizou-se um esquema fatorial 52 fracionado, com 13 combinações diferentes das doses de fósforo e cálcio (P-Ca): 0-0, 0‒40, 0‒80, 15‒20, 15‒60, 30‒0, 30‒40, 30‒80, 45‒20, 45‒60, 60‒0, 60‒40, e 60‒80 mg dm-3. As unidades experimentais foram distribuídas em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Determinou-se fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), fibra em detergente ácido (FDA), hemicelulose, celulose, lignina e proteína bruta (PB) das folhas e ramos em dois cortes. Nos dois cortes da leguminosa observou-se que os teores de FDA, hemicelulose, celulose e lignina das folhas não apresentaram respostas isoladas ou combinadas às doses de fósforo e cálcio. Concluiu-se que o fornecimento combinado de fósforo e cálcio não influenciou na qualidade nutricional da leguminosa. O fornecimento isolado de cálcio interferiu somente no teor de FDN e fornecimento de fósforo na PB das folhas. As doses de fósforo de 31,5 mg dm-3 e 28,2 mg dm-3 foram responsáveis pelo menor teor de FDN nas folhas e pelo maior teor de hemicelulose nos ramos, respectivamente.(AU)