Potential impact of research on wheat for acid soils in Brazil
If Brazil's 58,414 small-scale wheat producers could attain a yield increase of at least 15% from improved wheat cultivars (which, on the basis of current agronomic evidence, appears likely), the additional annual benefit would be US$ 14.3 million. H these gains were made on all wheat farms, the annual benefit would be US$ 53.0 million. These figures actually underestimate the potential benefit, because the technology would encourage the expansion of wheat into new areas and increase the sustainability of zero tillage systems, leading to other benefits such as reduced soil erosion. The impact on systems that combine livestock with agriculture, which has not been assessed, is also likely to be substantial. Wheat is an extremely important component of the zero tillage system which has been a revolution in Brazilian agriculture. Zero tillage has generated benefits for both large and small holder farmer resulting in increased profitability, reduced poverty and increased sustainability. Rising demand for wheat in Brazil poses important food security questions for that nation. Just over a decade ago, Brazil covered 80% of wheat demand with domestic production, but by 1997 domestic production met less than 30% of demand. Presently Brazil depends heavily on wheat imports (the nation accounted for 6.6% of world wheat imports in 1996). In 1997 and 1998, the value of wheat imports was about US$ 1.0 billion; during the past decade, the value of Brazil's wheat imports amounted to 20.1 % of agricultural imports and 1.4% of total imports. Increased demand will put more pressure on the balance of payments. Rising international wheat prices and declining international wheat stocks have engendered national debate on the costs of depending on international markets rather than supporting domestic production. In the wake of market liberalization, Brazilian farmers have had to become more competitive, and the challenge to increase productivity and efficiency has been especially acute for the nation's small-scale producers, including its many wheat farmers. Brazil has invested in wheat breeding research, especially for the acid lands where about 70% of the nation's wheat is grown. Considerable agronomic research has also been dedicated to cropping systems that include wheat. Two agricultural production systems seem central to the survival of smallholder wheat farmers in an increasingly competitive environment for agriculture. Both systems have the potential to increase the productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture and alleviate concerns over national food security. The first system involves rotations with zero tillage in which wheat is one of the important components; this has already been shown to provide productivity gains and cost reductions (partly through reductions in inputs, including labor). Crop-livestock systems, in which dual-purpose wheats are used for grazing and grain production, also appear to offer good possibilities for improving smallholder agriculture. The benefits of both systems would further increase if higher yielding wheat cultivars with improved tolerance to acid soils were available.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Book biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
CIMMYT
2000
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| Subjects: | AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, WHEAT, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, ZERO TILLAGE, ACID SOILS, GENETIC IMPROVEMENT, BREEDING, ARTIFICIAL SELECTION, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10883/3967 |
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