Perceptions on regenerative practices in suppressing soybean root diseases

The main hypothesis of this study is that a conservationist system combined with soil regenerative practices can reduce the incidence of Macrophomina phaseolina in soybean crops and consequently increase productivity. The study wasconducted in the experimental area of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Frederico Westphalen Campus, RS, Brazil, during the 2023/2024 harvest. The experimental design consisted of main blocks in which three production systems were allocated: 1) notillage black oats system with physical intervention; 2) no-tillage black oats system; and 3) no-tillage polyculture system. The results showed that the no-tillage polyculture system presented 36.5% and 31.7% lower incidence of Macrophomina phaseolina and consequently higher grain productivity with an increase of 23% (675 kg ha-1) and 15.08% (473 kg ha-1) in relation to the notillage black oats system with physical intervention and no-tillage black oats system. The weight of a thousand grains was thevariable which best explained the increase in productivity, with a significant increase of 7.9% and 7.01% in the no-tillage polyculture system compared to the no-tillage black oat system with physical intervention and no-tillage black oat system. The notillage system combined with regenerative practices is the best way to minimize losses due to root diseases in soybean crops.