biological nitrogen fixation (BNF)

The evolution of Brazilian agriculture over the past decades is a remarkable example of progress driven by scientific knowledge. The country overcame the challenges of tropical soils — characterized by low fertility and high acidity — thanks to research, proper soil management, acidity correction, rational use of fertilizers, genetic improvement of plants, and sustainable practices such as biological nitrogen fixation (BNF).

Institutions such as Embrapa, the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC), and several universities have played an essential role in establishing Brazil as an agricultural powerhouse and in promoting global food security.

Conservation systems, such as No-Tillage (NT) and Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forest systems (ICLF, CL, and LF), as well as agroecology and organic farming, demonstrate that the success of Brazilian agriculture is rooted not only in technology but also in the knowledge of soil — the invisible and fundamental foundation beneath our feet.

Read the full article:https://www.revistafatorbrasil.com.br/2025/10/14/ciencia-do-solo-a-base-invisivel-da-sustentabilidade-da-agricultura-brasileira/

Text: Lucia Helena Cunha dos Anjos, agronomist, full professor at UFRRJ, former president of the Brazilian Soil Science Society (SBCS), member of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS/FAO) from 2018 to 2025, and full member of the Brazilian Academy of Agronomic Science (ABCA).
Contributors: Pedro Luiz de Freitas (researcher at Embrapa Solos) and Marcos Gervasio Pereira (professor at UFRRJ).