Innovative solutions to strengthen integrated production systems in the Mid North of Brazil

Agricultural exploration in the Mid-North has been carried out in a distinct manner, including grain farming, forestry activities and livestock farming, over the years. This model has had a negative economic and environmental impact on the region. To overcome and solve this situation, Embrapa Mid-North has, through technology transfer actions, validated integrated systems (CLI and CLFI), where the level of adoption has been reasonable. With the need to make a more detailed evaluation of the CLFI system, understanding its effects on the soil and climate conditions of the Mid-North of Brazil, the need arose to develop a research project (SEG: 02.13.11.004.00.00) with the objective of overcoming some technical bottlenecks to feed and feedback the already validated system. Even so, gaps have been identified, and a new project is needed to seek the knowledge needed to better use these systems, such as: Evaluation of native and exotic tree species, adapted with production potential, forages (grasses and legumes) for forage production in the off-season period and straw for direct planting, intercropped with elite corn materials for grain and silage production, identifying the appropriate time to overseed sowing grasses in soybean crops and introducing animals (cattle for finishing) through different genotype groups aiming at improvements in adaptive, zootechnical and economic indices for interactions in the system, thus seeking innovative technological solutions. The project aims to develop innovative technological solutions, within an integrated vision of agricultural production in the Mid-North region of Brazil. The project activities will be developed in the CLFI Technological Reference Units (URT) in the states of Piaui and Maranhao. The intended results are: Information on the identification of native and exotic forest species with potential for inclusion in different arrangements for integrated systems in the region; Providing an agricultural process on how to produce cattle with good weight performance, good carcass yield, and quality meat (tender), adapted to the soil and climate conditions of the Mid-North of Brazil in CLFI systems; Generation of microclimatic databases and physiological parameters and behavioral behaviors, in shaded and full sun environments, of cattle in CLFI systems; Providing materials from corn and forage crops (grasses and legumes) adapted to the conditions of the Mid-North of Brazil, for integrated systems; information regarding physical and chemical changes in the soil subjected to different management systems; Identification of parameters for enteric methane emissions from beef cattle in different management situations in the CLFI system.