Soybean rentability in cross-seeding

Soybean cross-seeding tillage came from better spatial arrangement of plants per area, so some producers have opted for this tillage system, which consists in seeding the area in two steps, forming a chessboard with perpendicular lines of tillage. This study aims to analyse the soybean productivity and production costs when it planted in different dispositions of crossed tillage. The experiment was conducted during the harvests 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 at Lageado Farm of the FCA/UNESP, Botucatu-SP, in an area cultivated under no-tillage. The experimental design was in randomized block with five treatments and eight replications. The treatments were: seeding in parallel rows with recommended fertilization and recommended plant population (conventional); cross-seeding with doubled fertilization and doubled plant population; cross-seeding with recommended plant population and doubled fertilization; cross-seeding with doubled plant population and recommended fertilization; cross-seeding with fertilization and recommended plant population. The results showed statistical difference among the treatments, with increased productivity for the cross-seeding with doubled plant population and recommended fertilization. However the conventional tillage with parallel lines shows higher net earnings than soybean cross-seeding, being more profitable for producer.

operating costs; plants spatial arrangement; productivity