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Increasingly extreme weather events, such as intense rainfall during El Niño years and prolonged droughts under La Niña, have put agriculture in Paraná to the test. To meet this challenge, the Paraná Network for Agricultural Research and Applied Training (Rede AgroPesquisa) evolved in 2024 into the New Prosolo Research and Innovation Arrangement (Napi-Prosolo), consolidating applied research and generating practical recommendations to protect crops, conserve soil, and reduce environmental impacts.
Created in 2015, the AgroPesquisa Network already brought together public and private universities, research institutes, and public bodies in an interdisciplinary project focused on innovation in rural areas. With support from the Faep System, the Araucária Foundation, and the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Seti), the initiative gained prominence by evaluating, in different regions of the State, the use of agricultural terraces, crop rotation systems, and the use of animal waste as fertilizer.
Photo: Disclosure/IDR
“This work shows that it is possible to reconcile productivity and preservation when the producer has access to quality technical knowledge. The results highlight the economic, social and environmental advantages for farmers who adopt technologies and management practices that are more appropriate for protecting soil and water on their properties,” emphasizes the interim president of the Faep System, Ágide Eduardo Meneguette.
In 2016, Paraná made further progress with the creation of the Integrated Soil and Water Conservation Program (Prosolo), which established a public policy dedicated to training specialists, disseminating conservation technologies, and promoting the rational use of natural resources on farms. The experience accumulated by the AgroPesquisa Network and the technical support of Prosolo gave rise to Napi-Prosolo, expanding and deepening studies focused on soil and water conservation.
The core of Napi-Prosolo's research is the monitoring of surface runoff, sediment transport, and the physical, chemical, and biological attributes of the soil. This monitoring allows for the measurement of soil, water, and nutrient losses under different land use and management conditions, providing a solid technical basis for planning conservation practices and erosion control.
According to the coordinator of Napi-Prosolo, Graziela Moraes de Cesare Barbosa, the results reinforce the importance of adopting conservation practices. “Even in areas under no-till farming, terraces remain fundamental for reducing erosion and surface runoff, especially in years influenced by El Niño,” she warns. “With more intense rainfall, the adoption of soil and water management technologies to protect crops is essential to reduce environmental impacts and increase the productivity of Paraná's agriculture,” she adds.
Reference books
Soy – Photo: Jonathan Campos/AEN
In addition to ongoing research, the program has already published two books with data and recommendations that serve as a guide for technicians, producers, and municipal agriculture departments in the planning and management of rural areas.
In 2023, the results of the studies were compiled into the book "Soil and Water Management and Conservation," launched on August 22nd, which is expected to become a reference for academics, researchers, professors, field technicians, and rural producers in Brazil. The work brings academia closer to the field, allowing producers to identify potential losses in their crops and apply the studies directly to their property.
In April of this year, the second volume of the book "Soil and Water Management and Conservation" was released. The work presents unpublished data for six mesoregions of Paraná, with practical applications for rural producers, in addition to reinforcing the importance of adopting conservation management practices.
Both works are free and available on the Faep System website.
