Agriculture in the cerrado: a sleeping giant rose up

Abstract

Cerrado is a savanna biome, the second in extension among Brazilian ecosystems. The soils of the Cerrado are among the oldest on Earth. Weathering effects resulted in impoverished, acid soils in the Cerrado. Until the inauguration of Brasília (the capital of Brazil) in central Brazil, Cerrado was regarded as useless for agricultural exploitation. Research and implementation of techniques of soil fertilization, plant and animal genetics, breeding, and farming technology turned the Cerrado the main Brazilian area for food production. Notable gains in overall production and productivity of several crops were obtained. Over four decades, grain production in Brazil increased 6-fold, whereas the cultivated area increased 1.6-fold. Brazil became the third world’s food producer and the second top exporter of food products. On the other hand, much of the original extension of the Cerrado domain was replaced by farming fields. In consequence, Cerrado is presently the most threatened Brazilian biome, chiefly due to losses and fragmentation of natural habitats. A balance between farming and environmental protection of the Cerrado is needed, aiming a sustainable food production, by means of a harmonic convivence of farming and environment preservation.