HEALTHY SOILS
Brazilian sugarcane fields contribute to healthier soils by limiting soil loss, due in part to the semi-perennial nature of sugarcane. The same plant grows back many times after harvest and is typically only replanted every five or six years.
Brazilian producers also integrate farming techniques that preserve soil stability while yielding approximately 85 tons of sugarcane per hectare, incluing:
No-till production systems
Crop rotation with soybeans or peanuts
Green fertilization by planting cover crops such as Crotalaria juncea or using leftover sugarcane straw after mechanized harvesting as ground cover
Thanks to these responsible agricultural practices, soil erosion in sugarcane fields is minimal when compared to many other crops. In some regions of Brazil, sugarcane has been produced on the same soil for more than 200 years with continuous yield and soil carbon capture.