The 2025\/26 summer crop season has shown changes in crop management in southern Brazil. Producers in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paran\u00e1 have been adopting strategies that prioritize the more efficient use of fertilizers, combined with the gradual building of soil fertility and the rational use of inputs.<\/p>\n
The movement has been driven by more detailed diagnoses of productive areas. Chemical and physical analyses of the soil, management history, and evaluation of crop responses allow for more precise adjustments to fertilizer doses, avoiding both under-application, which can reduce productivity, and over-application, which raises costs and increases the risk of environmental losses.<\/p>\n
In this context, the concept of nutrient use efficiency (NUE) gains importance, an indicator that relates the amount of nutrient applied to the productivity obtained. The strategy seeks to improve the utilization of fertilizers by plants and reduce losses due to processes such as volatilization, leaching, or fixation in the soil.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/opresenterural.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1764854533663.jpg?resize=212%2C212&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nRicardo Allebrandt, technical market developer and PhD in Plant Production: "More efficient systems allow for greater production with better use of fertilizers."<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to Ricardo Allebrandt, a technical market developer and PhD in Plant Production, efficiency in nutritional management is also directly related to the sustainability of agricultural production. "More efficient systems allow for greater production with better use of fertilizers. This reduces losses, improves production predictability, and contributes to a more balanced relationship between investment and return per hectare," he states.<\/p>\n
Another effect highlighted by experts is the positive impact on soil health. The gradual building of fertility, associated with practices such as crop rotation and maintenance of vegetation cover, contributes to improving the physical structure of the soil and stimulating biological activity.<\/p>\n
This type of management also tends to increase the resilience of crops in scenarios of greater climate variability, a situation that is increasingly frequent in the South of the country. More structured soils and more developed root systems favor tolerance to periods of excessive rain or drought.<\/p>\n
According to Allebrandt, producers in the region have adopted a more strategic view of agronomic management. "Producing sustainably means maintaining soil productivity in the long term. This requires planning, management adjustments, and the use of technologies that bring real efficiency to the field," he states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n