Diagnosis of the soybean production sector in Porto Nacional, Tocantins, Brazil

Soybean is the most important oil crop for Brazil since almost all production is destined for export, which contributes significantly to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. However, soybean production fields have not responded to high levels of grain yield. Therefore, as we are facing a scarcity of natural resources, especially regard to new areas for agricultural expansion, to increase production it will be necessary to produce more grains in the same area since there is no guarantee of exploration of new areas. Thus, the aim of this research was to identify the main difficulties of the soybean production sector in the region of Porto Nacional, state of Tocantins, Brazil. A questionnaire was applied to 24 farmers of the region to obtain the information. The results indicate that the highest soybean grain yield for the Porto Nacional (TO) region occurs in areas where the farmers use the application at variable rate fertilizer, liming frequently and perform the management of the fertility at deeper soil layers.