Brazilian Soybean Research Articles

Suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis in Dichelops melacanthus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

The relative quantification of gene expression is mainly realized through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). However, the accuracy of this technique is deeply influenced by the expression stability of the reference genes used for data normalization. Therefore, the selection of suitable reference genes for a given experimental condition is a prerequisite in gene expression studies. Dichelops melacanthus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an important phloem sap-sucking insect pest of soybean, wheat, and maize in Brazil. Most of the genetic and molecular biology studies require gene expression analysis. Nevertheless, there are no reports about reference genes for RT-qPCR data normalization in D. melacanthus. In this study, we evaluated the expression stability of nine candidate reference genes (nadh, sdhb, gapdh, fau, ef1a, rpl9, ube4a, gus and rps23) in different developmental stages, body parts, sex, starvation-induced stress and dsRNA exposure by RefFinder software that integrates the statistical algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt method. Our results showed that ef1a and nadh are the most stable reference genes for developmental stages, fau and rps23 for sex, ube4a and rps23 for body parts, rpl9 and fau for starvation stress, and nadh and sdhb for dsRNA exposure treatment. The reference genes selected in this work will be useful for further RT-qPCR analyses on D. melacanthus, facilitating future gene expression studies that can provide a better understanding of the developmental, physiological, and molecular processes of this important insect pest. Moreover, the knowledge gained from these studies can be helpful to design effective and sustainable pest management strategies.

Genetic diversity of Agrobacterium species isolated from nodules of common bean and soybean in Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Mozambique, and description of the new species Agrobacterium fabacearum sp. nov.

Agrobacterium strains are associated with soil, plants and animals, and known mainly by their pathogenicity. We studied 14 strains isolated from nodules of healthy soybean and common bean plants in Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Mozambique. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene positioned the strains as Agrobacterium, but with low phylogenetic resolution. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of three partial housekeeping genes (glnII, gyrB and recA) positioned the strains in four distinct clades, with Agrobacterium pusense, Agrobacterium deltaense, Agrobacterium radiobacter and Agrobacterium sp. genomospecies G1. Analysis by BOX-PCR revealed high intraspecies diversity. Genomic analysis of representative strains of the three clades indicated that they carry the protelomerase telA gene, and MLSA analysis with six complete housekeeping genes (atpD, glnII, gyrB, recA, rpoB and thrC), as well as average nucleotide identity (less than 90 % with closest species) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (less than 41 % with closest species) revealed that strain CNPSo 675T and Agrobacterium sp. genomospecies G1 compose a new species. Other phenotypic and genotypic characteristics were determined for the new clade. Although not able to re-nodulate the host, we hypothesize that several strains of Agrobacterium are endophytes in legume nodules, where they might contribute to plant growth. Our data support the description of the CNPSo 675T and Agrobacterium sp. genomospecies G1 strains as a new species, for which the name Agrobacterium fabacearum is proposed. The type strain is CNPSo 675T (=UMR 1457T=LMG 31642T) and is also deposited in other culture collections.

Arthropod Invasions Versus Soybean Production in Brazil: A Review.

Soybean production in Brazil has been markedly affected by invasions of non-native arthropod species that feed on the crop, severely impacting biodiversity, food security, health, and economic development. Data on soybean production losses and increase in insecticide usage over the last two decades have not been explored in association with past invasion events, and the dynamics underlying the recent blitz of invasive species into Brazil remain largely unclear. We provide a review of arthropod invasions in the Brazilian soybean agroecosystem since 1990, indicating that the introductions of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) MEAM1 (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Tetranychus urticae (Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae), and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are likely correlated with periods of increase in insecticide usage for soybean production. Using these three cases as examples, we review factors that could lead to increased likelihood of future invasions by particular pests, outlining four possible criteria to evaluate potential invasiveness of non-native arthropods: likelihood of entry, likelihood of establishment, biological features of the species, and availability of control measures. Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Aphis glycines (Matsumura) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhynca) are examples of highly damaging soybean pests, related to one or more of these factors, that could be introduced into Brazil over the next years and which could lead to problematic scenarios. Melanagromyza sojae (Zehnter) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) also meets these criteria and has successfully invaded and colonized Brazilian soybean fields in recent years. Our review identifies current issues within soybean pest management in Brazil and highlights the need to adopt management measures to offset future costs and minimize lost revenue.

Economic and environmental location of logistics integration centers: the Brazilian soybean transportation case

This paper presents a study to locate logistics integration centers (LICs) by applying a capacitated multi-layer location-allocation mathematical model, considering economic (transport and installation costs) and environmental criteria (CO $$_2$$ emissions). This model is applied on scenarios that include information of the National Logistics and Transport Plan about soybean transport in Brazil. The economic and environmental gains obtained by the optimized location of LICs are evaluated, indicating savings in both logistics costs (between 22 and 40%) and carbon emissions (between 24 and 38%). The application of the proposed mathematical model supports the decision-makers to elaborate better strategic plans that can improve the utilization of the intermodal transport, making the logistic system operations more efficient, both economically and environmentally.

Strategic planning of freight transportation to support smart cities design: The Brazilian soybean case

Freight transportation can impact the effectiveness of smart city development if it is not well planned. Commodities with international flows such as soy can cause traffic in urban areas where ports are installed, negatively influencing economic (e.g. delays and fines), social (e.g. population quality of life) and environmental (e.g. intensification of pollutant and greenhouse gases emissions) dimensions. Thus, this paper aims to apply a location-allocation mathematical model to determine the ideal location of logistics integration centers - LICs dedicated to soybean transportation. We believe that, by properly locating structures that allow intermodality, the use of road transport would decrease by replacing it with intermodal alternatives with less environmental impact, reducing road congestion in urban centers under port influence. In addition, the total costs of the network would be optimized, promoting positive economic impacts on the soybean logistics chains. Therefore, eight scenarios were established varying the model's input parameters (such as investment and minimum volume of soybean moved through a LIC). The model was implemented in the Mosel language using the Xpress IVE solver version 1.24.24. The costs of each scenario were investigated, and the benefits related to the currently configuration (with no LIC) were pointed out. In the end, it was observed that the applied model might support government strategic planning (including, here, the design of smart cities).

Morphology and composition of the midgut bacterial community of Scaptocoris castanea Perty, 1830 (Hemiptera: Cydnidae).

The burrower bug Scaptocoris castanea is an important soybean and pasture pest in Brazil, with an underground habit feeding directly on the sap of the roots. Underground habit hinders control and knowledge of the biology and physiology of this pest. This study describes the anatomy, histology, ultrastructure and symbionts of the midgut of S. castanea. The midgut of S. castanea is anatomically divided into five regions (ventricles). Ventricles 1-3 are similar between males and females, with cells specialized in digestion and absorption of nutrients, water transport and homeostasis. Ventricle 4 has squamous epithelium forming crypts and harboring bacteria in the lumen. Ventricle 5 of males is small with cells containing apical microvilli and broad basal folds with many openings for hemocoel, while in females, this region of the midgut is well developed and colonized by intracellular bacteria, characterizing bacteriocytes. The main bacteria are Gammaproteobacteria. The results show sexual dimorphism in ventricle 5 of the midgut of S. castanea, with formation of bacteriocytes in the females, while the other regions are involved in digestive processes in both sexes.

Energy-Qualitative and Sustainable Impacts on Differents Soy Grain Drying Technologies

The objective of this current paper is to evaluate, in real production scale, the management of soybean batches in the storage unit of harvested grains that are submitted to drying processes with different technologies, such an evaluation can contribute to minimizing energy and qualitative losses, and to ensuring the grain quality and sustainability of the postharvest system. The experiment was realized in full-scale production and the treatments utilized were lots moist soybean crop (SUL), RR dry soybean (SSLRR), RR2 dry soybean (SSLRR2), dried soybean in continuous dryer (SSS1) (11.0%), dried soybean silo-dryer (SSS2) (12.5%), dried soybean in silo aerator (SSS3) (14.0%). Energy losses and grain quality as a function of drying management ranged from 2.5 to 16.4% in energy, from 0.23 to 3.26% in crude protein and 0.15 to 3.05% in oil—the maximum yield of wet soybeans harvested from the crop (SUL) at 17% (w.b.). Considering the annual Brazilian soybean production, energy losses reach up to 162,282.50 m³ of firewood, approximately 2,116,963,470 kg of crude protein and 810,616,800 liters of crude oil. This would ensure lower losses and higher grain quality, including better yield of protein and crude oil, specifically reducing energy impacts by increasing the efficiency of the drying system. The current study concluded that the SSS1 drying system reduces energy-environmental impacts by 80.23%, reduces crude protein losses by 94.73%, and crude oil by 95.08%.

DOSES DE FOSFÓRO NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DA CULTURA DA SOJA NA REGIÃO CENTRAL DO TOCANTINS

A produtividade de grãos de soja no Brasil é afetada pela baixa disponibilidade de fósforo no solo. Nesse sentido, o objetivo foi o de avaliar o desempenho de cultivares de soja após a aplicação de doses de fósforo. Para isso, foi instalado um experimento em casa de vegetação utilizando. o delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 5 x 2. O primeiro fator foi constituído por cinco doses de fósforo (0, 50, 100, 200, 300 mg dm-3 de P2O5) e o segundo por duas cultivares de soja (M-SOY 9144RR e NS 8094RR). Foram avaliadas a altura de plantas e o peso da massa de grãos por planta. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância pelo teste de F a 1% de significância e teste de comparação de médias pelo teste de Scott e Knott a 1% de probabilidade. Os resultados demostraram que a variáveis altura de planta e peso de grãos, quando submetidas às doses 50, 100, 200, 300 mg dm-3 de P2O5 apresentaram resultados satisfatórios.

Evaluation of the economic and environmental impacts from the addition of new railways to the brazilian's transportation network: An application of a network equilibrium model

Transport policies and infrastructure investments diverge across countries, but the actions to improve transportation performance and simultaneously to reduce its CO2 emissions have gained importance around the world. In Brazil, the infrastructure bottlenecks and the low productivity of transport have increasing freight costs and simultaneously the CO2 emissions. Aiming to reduce the impacts of the transport sector inefficiency the Federal Government announced a public-private partnership program to increase investment in new railways. We propose a dual-step procedure to evaluate the expected economic and environmental impacts lead to the inclusion of new railways to the transportation network: i) apply a Network Equilibrium Model to simulate the interregional transportation flows of Brazilian soybean and corn production and evaluate the benefits, measured in terms of reduced transportation costs and CO2 emissions, caused by the new railways; ii) use a cost-effective analysis to rank the investments in the railways according to their economic and environmental contributions. We found that the implementation of the Brazilian planned railways could reduce 17% the total freight cost and 20% the total CO2 emissions of corn and soybean transportation. Three railway projects presented important economic and environmental gains and showed be attractive to private funding.

Soybean Crop: A Review on the Biotechnological Advances and Expectation for Modern Cultivars

The soybean crop is extremely important for Brazilian agribusiness, generating millions of dollars in the country’s exports. Since its introduction in Brazil, soybean has undergone a process of technological modernization, receiving in the recent year’s new technologies that have provided a revolution in the production system, increasing mainly grain yield, as well as facilitated phytosanitary managements (pests, diseases, and weeds) and edaphoclimatic adaptation. Brazilian soybean producers yearn for new genotypes that make it easier to manage the crop and reduce input expenditures. New technologies are emerging or being improved to meet this demand. This review explores the technologies that are already available to soybean producers, inserted by the molecular breeding, such as Inox, Intacta, Cultivance, Libert Link and Enlist E3. It also brings the news that will be available to the market in a few years, such as Intacta 2 Xtend, Hb4, and other technologies to increase phenotyping and genotyping in breeding programs and insertion of characteristics to increase plant efficiency. Biotechnology is advancing at a frenetic pace and year after year, new techniques and tools are being made available for breeding programs around the world, which result in the production of new productive cultivars, conventional or transgenic, that are resistant to abiotic and biotic factors.

The Soybean Trap: Challenges and Risks for Brazilian Producers

Since the 1970s, Brazilian soybean production has grown rapidly, driven by increasing national and international demand and rising prices. Consequently, soybean production has come to be perceived as an attractive opportunity, with the number of farms producing soybean across the country reaching around 240,000 in 2017. However, producers can become trapped by dependencies on moneylenders, traders and input supply companies, facing so-called ’agricultural treadmills’. In this study we undertook interviews with individual soybean producers and representatives of trader companies, producers’ associations, the processing industry, government and civil society, and used these data to analyze rural production operations related to the soybean supply chain and to interpret how agricultural treadmills persist in this sector. Based on literature review and fieldwork interviews, we found that producers have been able to add value to their products, but some strategies they use to cope with production costs lead them into high-risk situations. Our findings show that, sectoral (e.g., producers’ associations) and collective actions (e.g., farmers’ buying groups) are a useful strategy for producers to gain influence and bargaining power against transnational companies and input suppliers compared to acting as an individual within the soybean supply chain. Producers were emphatic that the current soybean business is now much more than just farming activities, and that education and training are highly valuable and important strategies to keep producers in the soybean business and out of traps. These findings are important given the neoliberal context in which individual producers find themselves and which presents challenges that alone they can do little to change. Policies that enable individual producers to make environmentally- and financially-sound agricultural decisions are vital to ensure a sustainable soybean system that does not trap producers in endless cycles of debt and investment.

Risk assessment of the global crop loss in ENSO events

The uncertainty associated with predicting extreme weather events has serious implications for the world, owing to the greater vulnerability to such events. Continual exposure to unanticipated extreme events is a contributing factor for the global crop loss. Therefore, accurate risk assessment of the global staple crop loss in ENSO events is indispensable to ensure global food security under climate change. In the study, the risk of crop loss is assessed at a global scale considering three factors: the crop yield reduction rate, its coefficient of variation (CV), and the crop reduction probability, based on which a crop loss risk index (RI) was developed and calculated. The results suggest wheat in Canada, Brazil, eastern Europe, Morocco, South Africa, and Australia, and corn in central and southern African countries are at high risk of crop loss with a RI > 1.70 in both El Niño and La Niña events. Rice in the USA, Egypt, and southeast Asia is at low risk in ENSO events with a RI < 0.70. Wheat in Argentina, India, Poland, and Egypt, and corn and soybean in Brazil and China are at high to medium risk in El Niño but at low risk in La Niña events. Wheat in western European countries (France and Germany) and Ethiopia, and corn and soybean in the USA are at low risk in El Niño, but at medium to high risk in La Niña events. In general, wheat, soybean, and rice are at higher risk in El Niño, whereas corn exhibits the opposite trend—it is at higher risk in La Niña events. Wheat is the most vulnerable of the four studied crops to ENSO events. Soybean is at higher risk in El Niño than corn, but corn is at higher risk in La Niña than soybean. Rice is at far lower risk than the other three staple crops in ENSO events, especially in La Niña.

Satellite-based soybean yield forecast: Integrating machine learning and weather data for improving crop yield prediction in southern Brazil

Soybean yield predictions in Brazil are of great interest for market behavior, to drive governmental policies and to increase global food security. In Brazil soybean yield data generally demand various revisions through the following months after harvest suggesting that there is space for improving the accuracy and the time of yield predictions. This study presents a novel model to perform in-season (“near real-time”) soybean yield forecasts in southern Brazil using Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM), Neural Networks, satellite imagery and weather data. The objectives of this study were to: (i) compare the performance of three different algorithms (multivariate OLS linear regression, random forest and LSTM neural networks) for forecasting soybean yield using NDVI, EVI, land surface temperature and precipitation as independent variables, and (ii) evaluate how early (during the soybean growing season) this method is able to forecast yield with reasonable accuracy. Satellite and weather data were masked using a non-crop-specific layer with field boundaries obtained from the Rural Environment Registry that is mandatory for all farmers in Brazil. Main outcomes from this study were: (i) soybean yield forecasts at municipality-scale with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.24 Mg ha−1 at DOY 64 (march 5) (ii) a superior performance of the LSTM neural networks relative to the other algorithms for all the forecast dates except DOY 16 where multivariate OLS linear regression provided the best performance, and (iii) model performance (e.g., MAE) for yield forecast decreased when predictions were performed earlier in the season, with MAE increasing from 0.24 Mg ha−1 to 0.42 Mg ha−1 (last values from OLS regression) when forecast timing changed from DOY 64 (March 5) to DOY 16 (January 6). This research portrays the benefits of integrating statistical techniques, remote sensing, weather to field survey data in order to perform more reliable in-season soybean yield forecasts.

Environmental risk for aquatic and terrestrial organisms associated with drift from pesticides used in soybean crops.

Several countries included the assessment of environmental drift contamination risk for the registration of pesticides. This practice is not yet totality effective in Brazil; however, due to the large number of pesticides in use, it is important to identify the real contamination risk during pesticide spraying. Therefore, this study determined the indices of environmental risks for exposure to drift from terrestrial applications of fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides that are used in soybean crops under Brazilian climate conditions and established buffer zones for the application of these products. Based on the three prediction drift models for soybeans in Brazil, risk indices were computed for aquatic organisms and terrestrial organisms according to the modelling procedures proposed by the POCER (Pesticide Occupation and Environmental Risk) and HAIR (Harmonized Environmental Indicators for Pesticide Risk) methodologies. In general, aquatic organisms are the most sensitive to drift contamination, being chlorothalonil, trifluralin and chlorpyrifos the ones that presented the higher risk indexes. No risk was found for earthworms; in contrast, the insecticides chlorpyrifos, spinosad and thiamethoxam presented risks to bees regardless of the nozzle (droplet size) used for the determination of the drift curve, resulting in the demand for different buffer zones.

International trade in GMOs: have markets paid premiums on Brazilian soybeans?

Abstract: The introduction of GMO technology into global market chains and the rejection by consumers in some markets have led to the reorganization of soybean trades. Brazil has adopted the technology later than other countries and specialized in supplying non-GMO soybean between 1996 and 2005. On the other hand, the United States and Argentina, which adopted the technology in 1996, exported to countries with less social aversion to the GM-technology. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relation between changes in global market chains (price, source and destination and market shares) and GMO technology adoption, focusing on evidences for price premiums for non-GM soybeans produced in Brazil, by the analysis of the trade unit values (TUV). In order to do so, we employ multivariate methods (Principal Components and Hierarchical Cluster analyses) and estimate a Random Effect model based on a bilateral trade dataset covering the years from 1986 to 2010. Results show that GM-technology adoption significantly changed trade patterns. However, premiums were paid for Brazilian soybean only in niche markets, where the market share is lower.

Susceptibility of soybean looper to lufenuron and spinosad

ABSTRACT: The soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens) is an important defoliation pest in crops such as soybean and cotton in Brazil. Its main control tactic is chemical insecticides. Considering the importance of chemical control for this pest, monitoring the susceptibility of C. includens populations is strategic for an efficient Insect Resistance Management. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility levels of C. includens populations in the state of Mato Grosso - Brazil to lufenuron and spinosad. Seven populations were collected in soybean fields around the state. For the bioassays, early L3 larvae were exposed to insecticides using the diet-overlay method. Although the compounds have distinct modes of action, Tangará da Serra population had the highest resistance ratios for lufenuron (11.62) and spinosad (7.84), compared to laboratory population (susceptibility reference). Even with low resistance levels, it is necessary to maintain regional monitoring of C. includens susceptibility to the evaluated insecticides, as well as to extend the range of molecules monitored.

Selection and molecular characterization of Bacillus thuringiensis strains efficient against soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens) and Spodoptera species

ABSTRACT Soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens) and Spodoptera group are important defoliators insects responsible for significant yield losses in soybean, cotton and maize in Brazil. Bioinsecticides and transgenic plants expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis are among the most used sustainable control methods for pest control in agriculture, especially for several lepidopteran species. To provide new components for insect control, this study aimed to select and characterize B. thuringiensis strains toxic to C. includens, S. cosmioides, S. eridania, and S. frugiperda. We performed initial bioassays with fifty B. thuringiensis strains for C. includens and selected four strains – 1608A, 726, 773, and 775E – that caused high larval mortality (100%) to be tested against Spodoptera species. These strains harbored cry insecticidal genes, megaplasmids, absence of β-exotoxin and showed two major proteins about 65 and 130 kDa in SDS-page attributed to Cry protein classes toxic to lepidopteran species. The 1608A and 775E strains also showed high toxicity to Spodoptera species that demonstrate great potential for B. thuringiensis-based bioproduct development and as sources of new insecticidal genes for transgenic crops for multiple pest control relevant in the Brazilian agricultural system.

Tropical soybean yield response to reduced or zero phosphorus fertilization depends on soils

AbstractOxisol soils with high P sorption capacity are widespread in Brazil, which is the world's second largest producer of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. To counter low P availability within highly weathered soils, Brazilian soybean producers commonly fertilize with approximately twice as much P as is harvested in soybean. This has led to the accumulation of P in the soil, especially during the 2000s and 2010s, but the degree to which producers can capitalize on this residual soil P stock to offset fertilizer inputs remains unclear. We tested the effect of residual soil P in a field trial in Mato Grosso, Brazil on a field that has been fertilized for a decade. We grew soybean under three P treatments: 0, 50, and 100% of the farm's standard P fertilization rate for soybean (38 kg P ha−1 yr−1). This experiment was conducted for one growing season on two sites within the same farm field that had different soil texture, Al2O3 + Fe2O3 (R2O3), soil test P, and degree of P saturation. Soybean yield on the soil with greater clay content and R2O3 showed yield declines under reduced P input but yields on sandier soils that had higher soil test P were unaffected by reduced P inputs. These results highlight opportunities to enhance P fertilizer use efficiency in intensive tropical agriculture on highly weathered soils by using site‐specific soil fertility management to harness residual soil P.

An updated phylogenetic classification of Corynespora cassiicola isolates and a practical approach to their identification based on the nucleotide polymorphisms at the ga4 and caa5 loci

ABSTRACT Corynespora cassiicola (Burk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei. is an anamorphic fungus that affects more than 530 plant species, including economically important crops. Several lineages of this pathogen have been recognized, but the classification of isolates into clades is time-consuming and still sometimes leads to unclear results. In this work, eight major phylogenetic clades (PhL1–PhL8) including 245 isolates of C. cassiicola from 44 plant species were established based on a Bayesian inference analysis of four combined C. cassiicola genomic loci retrieved from GenBank, i.e., rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), actin-1,ga4, and caa5. The existence of PhL1–PhL5 and PhL7 as clonal lineages was further confirmed through the analysis of full-genome single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 39 isolates. Haplotypes of the caa5 locus were PhL specific and encode isoforms of the LDB19 domain of a putative α-arrestin N-terminal–like protein. Evolution of the Caa5 arrestin is in correspondence with the PhLs. ga4 and caa5 PhL consensus sequences and a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) procedure were generated based on the conserved nucleotide sequences and enzyme restriction patterns observed among isolates from the same lineage, respectively. The CAPS method was validated in silico, and its practical use allowed us to differentiate between tomato and papaya isolates, as well as to reveal the prevalence of PhL1 among isolates infecting soybean in Brazil. This novel approach could be useful in the efforts to control the diseases associated with C. cassiicola.

Analysis of the Performance of Transporting Soybeans from Mato Grosso for Export: A Case Study of the Tapajós-Teles Pires Waterway

The inefficiency of Brazil’s logistics system to handle the outflow of farm products impairs the sector’s performance. From the economic perspective, the high freight rates put the country’s agricultural sector at a competitive disadvantage in the global market. Besides this, the reliance on highway transport causes problems of an environmental (high CO 2 emissions) and social nature (large occurrence of accidents). As an alternative to this dependence, Brazil has an extensive network of actually and potentially navigable rivers that could serve as a key element to improve the performance of the agricultural sector. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the possible influence of the Tapajós-Teles Pires Waterway on the sustainable performance of 19 Brazilian soybean export routes, using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Of these, only three would use the Tapajós-Teles Pires Waterway, which is not yet in operation. The origins of the routes are four soybean-producing centers located in Mato Grosso, the Brazilian state that produces the most soybeans, destined for 12 seaports. The inputs considered are Accident Cost and CO2 Emissions, while the output is Cargo Carried per US$. For this, we use the DEA-VRS (Variable Return Scale) input-oriented model. The results obtained from the DEA model revealed satisfactory performance of the routes using the Tapajós-Teles Pires Waterway from three of the four production centers. In Campo Novo do Parecis, some 16% (471 km) of the route is composed of highways and the rest of the waterway (84%, 1576 km). In Sorriso, only 3% (85 km) of the route consists of highways, while waterway transport is responsible for 97% (2388 km), and in Querência, 24.55% of the route to the Port of Barcarena consists of highways. The use of these routes and the combination of the two transport modes presented the best efficiency indexes, making development of the waterway a key element to improve the outflow of soybeans for export. The results of this study may help Brazilian authorities to define public policies and apply resources to improve the deficiencies of the transportation system, which can lead to a better balance of the Brazilian transportation matrix.