Inor Ag. Assmann
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Mixed crop and livestock farmers in
Brazil are gradually coming to grips with
the advantages of the Integrated Crop-
Livestock System, which is an assurance
of sustainable production and profitability.
Among the different annual crops grown in
integrated systems, corn is particularly no-
ticeable because it grows fast and is a high
plant, a fact that facilitates its competition
with other components and mechanized
harvest. The existence of grass killing her-
bicides resistant to the kernel makes weed
control easier and facilitates the cultural
practices. Another advantage lies in the fact
that the cereal is kind of a ‘joker’, with sev-
eral applications in rural properties.
Researcher Miguel Marques Gontijo
Neto, from Embrapa Corn and Sorghum, in
Sete Lagoas (MG), maintains that all this is
further strengthened by the existence of a
big number of commercial corn cultivars
adapted to the different regions across
Brazil. “In localities where the climate fa-
vors the cultivation of corn, the cereal has
been recommended for composing the
system, as it develops perfectly in associ-
ation with forage grasses”, he clarifies. Ac-
All together
In Brazil, corn is gaining momentum in the Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems,
and adds differential features to the system, like its productive versatility
