Avaliação da fertilidade do solo por agricultura de precisão e convencional

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the methodologies for soil sampling in Precision and Conventional Farming in order to evaluate soil fertility . Soil samples were obtained in a conventional agriculture and precision farming , irrigated by center pivot and cultivated with corn and soybeans in ten areas of a farm located in Inhaúma, central region of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The samples were analyzed, interpreted and carried the recommendation of fertilizers for each of the plots. Comparing the average of the fertility data between the two sampling methods, we observed little difference for the majority of nutrients, except for P. The results showed that the soils have high fertility, regardless of the method of analysis. Fertility maps showed that there are differences in fertility plots, requiring corrective in some points. Although it is known and told that in high fertility soils there is no benefit in adopting Precision Farming, because of the cost of sampling, mapping the fertility by Precision Farming allows more certainty in interpretation and recommendation of corrective fertilizer.