Conservation agriculture strengthen sustainability of Brazilian grain production and food security

Sustainability of Brazilian agriculture has been frequently addressed in debates about human influences on the environment. Sustainability of agricultural production is critical to meet the growing demand for food, fiber and energy, and involves economic and environmental components of agriculture. We tested the hypothesis that conservation agriculture (CA) contributes to sustainability of Brazilian soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril) production through positive effects on one or more of the following: soil quality, grain yield and nutritional quality and growers profitability. We found that CA enhanced carbon sequestration, physical and especially biological quality of soil, which caused improved soybean grains yield, protein and flavonoids content and profit. In turn, the most expressive cropping sequence within Brazilian farmlands, the annual soybean and maize double crop (Zea mays), reduced soil physical quality with impacts on food security and agricultural sustainability. The hypothesis was proved once sustainability of Brazilian soybean production can be increased by inserting crop rotations involving cover crops in the rotation cycle. •Soil physical, chemical and biological quality were experimentally accessed under cropping systems of central Brazil.•Conservation agriculture (CA) was the main driver for food and agricultural security of soybean-based production systems.•CA affected soil physical and especially biological quality, and also soil organic carbon contents•Soybean and maize double cropping negatively affects soil physical quality and prejudices agricultural sustainability.