Agronomy and Crop Science, Soil Science, Atmospheric Science, Plant Science
26
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Hydroclimatic Changes in Semi-Arid and Transition Zones of Southeastern Brazil: Analysis of Temperature and Precipitation Trends Julia Eduarda Araujo, Inocêncio Oliveira Mulaveia, Maurício Santana de Paula, Fabiani Denise Bender, Fernando Coelho Eugenio, Jefferson Vieira José, Adma Viana Santos, Lucas da Costa Santos Meteorology Switzerland, 2025 Climate variability and extreme events disproportionately affect rural regions with limited adaptive capacity. In Minas Gerais, Brazil, mesoregions with semi-arid characteristics face severe vulnerabilities, underscoring the importance of detailed regional climate trend analyses. This study analyzed historical air temperature (maximum, minimum, and average) and precipitation from 1990 to 2019 in four mesoregions of Minas Gerais. The goal was to support climate planning and the development of local responses. Daily data from the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) and a gridded meteorological database were analyzed using Mann–Kendall and Sen’s non-parametric tests, with a 95% confidence level (p-value ≤ 0.05) to identify significant trends. Annual results showed significant increases in maximum temperature in 15 of 24 evaluated areas, with rates from −0.03 to +0.15 °C year−1. For minimum and average temperatures, significant increases were observed in 17 locations. Annual precipitation showed a downward trend in 21 areas. Monthly and seasonal analyses confirmed this pattern of warming and reduced rainfall. These findings indicate an intensification of climate stress in over 80% of the studied locations, potentially impacting agriculture, public health, and ecosystems, requiring specific regional adaptive responses.
Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Energy Source: Evaluating the Potential for Sustainable Electricity Generation in the Minas Gerais Region in Brazil Adma Viana Santos, Lauana Lopes dos Santos, Maurício Santana de Paula, Juliene Maria da Silva Amancio, Julia Eduarda Araujo, Ivana Pires de Sousa Baracho, Lucas da Costa Santos, Ricardo Siqueira da Silva, Jéfferson de Oliveira Costa Recycling, 2025 Valorization of municipal solid waste (MSW) for energy represents a strategic alternative for developing countries, as it mitigates emissions, reduces pressure on landfills, and diversifies the electricity matrix. This study quantified the potential for electricity generation from MSW in the Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil, using primary gravimetric characterization data, a method rarely employed in tropical areas. The identified composition showed a predominance of the organic fraction (47.6–73.3%), confirming the relevance of biological routes. The results indicated a consolidated potential of 106,640 MWh·year−1, of which 94.7% was from biogas recovery and 5.3% from incineration. Almenara, one of the three locations analyzed, showed the highest potential (48,200 MWh·year−1), followed by Diamantina (34,540 MWh·year−1) and Capelinha (23,900 MWh·year−1). The specific yields ranged from 0.33 to 0.53 MWh·ton−1 MSW and the per capita indicators from 1.01 to 1.49 MWh·cap−1·year−1. The climate mitigation potential reached 1.0 Mt of CO2eq·year−1. It is concluded that valorization in the Jequitinhonha Valley should prioritize biogas recovery, complemented by the incineration of rejects. The materialization of this potential requires advancements in infrastructure, selective collection, and socio-productive inclusion. This study provides evidence for public policies and contributes to the literature by demonstrating that valorization can boost energy transition and socio-environmental equity in developing tropical regions.
Low-cost weighing lysimeter: development, calibration, and evaluation Fagner Silva de Mesquita, Lucas Santos do Patrocínio Figueiró, Hermes Soares da Rocha, Lucas da Costa Santos Pesquisa Agropecuaria Tropical, 2025 Weighing lysimeters, which directly measure mass variations in the soil-plant system, provide high precision, but are typically costly, limiting their large-scale use. As an affordable alternative, six low-cost weighing lysimeters were developed, calibrated, and evaluated. The devices were built with low-cost materials and a modular design, integrating load cells with an Arduino microcontroller platform (ATmega 2560). The calibration with reference masses demonstrated excellent linearity, with determination coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.9890 to 0.9987, confirming a high measurement accuracy. The error parameters were also rigorously assessed, including hysteresis (up to 6.33 % of the full scale - FS), non-linearity (up to 10.92 % of the FS), and repeatability (up to 14.57 % of the FS). Despite the calibration consistency, the analysis of these errors and the maximum absolute error (up to 10.77 % of the FS) revealed limitations in achieving the precision required for highly sensitive scientific applications.
Calibration of the Ångström-Prescott Equation for Solar Radiation Estimation in Minas Gerais Lucas Santos do Patrocínio Figueiró, Lucas Fernandes Meira, Lucas da Costa Santos Revista Brasileira De Meteorologia, 2025 Solar energy emerges as a promising sustainable source of energy, capable of meeting energy demand and mitigating issues related to climate change. To evaluate its availability, we can use empirical models such as the Angstrom-Prescott (AP) equation. In this context, our objective was to calibrate and assess the AP model to estimate global solar radiation (Rs) in Minas Gerais. We utilized solar radiation and insolation data from seven municipalities in the state, extracted from the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), calibrating the model's coefficients through linear regression. After calculating Rs with the calibrated linear and angular coefficient values, we evaluated the accuracy of the estimative by comparing it with observed data. For this, we used the following statistical indicators: linear, angular, determination, and correlation coefficients; mean absolute error; root mean square error; concordance index; and performance index. The results indicated that the model can be an effective tool for estimating Rs in the region (performance index above 0.80, except in one municipality). The use of the calibrated coefficients presented in this work or the standard method are both effective and show no difference between them. The Angstrom-Prescott model proved to be effective in estimating solar radiation in Minas Gerais, with results highlighting its accuracy and applicability.
Nutritional Efficiency for Fertigated Sugarcane Varieties Under Deficit Irrigation Strategies Nathália Lopes Ribeiro, Rubens Duarte Coelho, Fernando da Silva Barbosa, Lucas da Costa Santos, Daniel Philipe Veloso Leal, Jonathan Vásquez Lizcano, Eusímio Felisbino Fraga Júnior, Timóteo Herculino da Silva Barros, Marcos Antonio Correa Matos do Amaral, Jéfferson de Oliveira Costa Irrigation and Drainage, 2025 Among the many factors that limit sugarcane crop yield, the precise supply of nutrients and water under drip irrigation systems can be the shortcut to higher yields in the field. This research aimed to evaluate the nutritional efficiency of fertigated sugarcane varieties under deficit irrigation strategies. The experiment was conducted in a rain‐out shelter with the soil type Oxisol Typic Ustox. The experimental design adopted was randomized blocks, with three complete blocks. The treatments were distributed in a factorial scheme (4 × 8), totalling 32 treatments and 96 experimental plots. Four irrigation strategies and eight commercial sugarcane varieties (CTC15, CTC17, RB867515, RB92579, RB931011, RB966928, IAC5000 and NCo376) were studied. Leaf, sheath, pointer and stalk samples were ground for determination of macronutrient and micronutrient contents. All the nutrients had greater quantities allocated to the stalk. The CTC15 variety accumulated a greater quantity of nutrients and was more efficient in terms of gross sugar yield, whereas RB966928 was more efficient in terms of the production of total recoverable sugars and the production of apparent sucrose. The 100% irrigation level provided greater accumulation of nutrients in the aboveground parts, whereas the 50% irrigation level resulted in higher values of nutrient use efficiency.
Unveiling Climate Trends and Future Projections in Southeastern Brazil: A Case Study of Brazil’s Historic Agricultural Heritage Lucas da Costa Santos, Lucas Santos do Patrocínio Figueiró, Fabiani Denise Bender, Jefferson Vieira José, Adma Viana Santos, Julia Eduarda Araujo, Evandro Luiz Mendonça Machado, Ricardo Siqueira da Silva, Jéfferson de Oliveira Costa Sustainability Switzerland, 2024 The intricate relationship between climate and society in a given region demands a profound understanding of climate patterns, especially in agricultural areas like Diamantina, Minas Gerais (MG), recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the birthplace of the first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in Brazil, situated in the southwest region of the country. Given the growing concerns about climate change, we conducted a meticulous analysis of the climatic characteristics of Diamantina-MG. To achieve this, we examined historical meteorological data from 1973 to 2022, employing the Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope tests to analyze trends. Additionally, we utilized three global climate models (GCMs) under different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) to predict future climate scenarios (2021–2100) based on the projections of the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). Furthermore, we used Köppen and Thornthwaite climate classification methodologies to characterize both the current and future climate conditions of the region. Our results indicate that, historically, Diamantina-MG has experienced significant increases in minimum temperature, indicating a warmer climate in recent decades. For temperature, the projections show a consensus among models, projecting a continuous increase, potentially reaching up to 5.8 °C above the historical average temperature (19.2 °C) by the end of the century. Regarding rainfall projections, they show greater uncertainty, with discrepancies among models observed until 2060. However, specifically for the second half of the century (2060–2100), the models agree that there will be increases in annual rainfall. Regarding the climatic types of the region, we found that the current Köppen Cwb and Thornthwaite B3rB’3a’ classifications could shift to Aw and B1wA’a’, representing a humid tropical savanna climate with longer periods of water deficiency, considering the impacts resulting from increased air temperature and evapotranspiration. In summary, the study’s results indicate that climate changes are occurring and are likely to intensify in the Jequitinhonha Valley region, MG, in the future. The analysis of these data, from the perspective of the Brazilian GIAHS sustainability, reveals the importance of considering adaptation and mitigation measures to ensure the resilience of agricultural systems and local communities in the region that face these significant environmental changes.
Sugarcane Water Productivity for Bioethanol, Sugar and Biomass under Deficit Irrigation Fernando da Silva Barbosa, Rubens Duarte Coelho, Timóteo Herculino da Silva Barros, Jonathan Vásquez Lizcano, Eusímio Felisbino Fraga Júnior, Lucas da Costa Santos, Daniel Philipe Veloso Leal, Nathália Lopes Ribeiro, Jéfferson de Oliveira Costa Agriengineering, 2024 Knowledge of how certain crops respond to water stress is one of the prerequisites for choosing the best variety and best management practices to maximize crop water productivity (WPc). The selection of a more efficient protocol for managing irrigation depths throughout the cultivation cycle and in the maturation process at the end of the growth period for each sugarcane variety can maximize bioethanol productivity and WPc for bioethanol, sugar and biomass, in addition to the total energy captured by the sugarcane canopy in the form of dry biomass. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of four irrigation depths and four water deficit intensities on the maturation phase for eight sugarcane varieties under drip irrigation, analyzing the responses related to WPc for bioethanol, sugar and biomass. These experiments were conducted at the University of São Paulo. The plots were positioned in three randomized blocks, and the treatments were distributed in a factorial scheme (4 × 8 × 4). The treatments involved eight commercial varieties of sugarcane and included four water replacement levels and four water deficits of increasing intensity in the final phase of the crop season. It was found that for each variety of sugarcane, there was an optimal combination of irrigation management strategies throughout the cycle and during the maturation process. The RB966928 variety resulted in the best industrial bioethanol yield (68.7 L·Mg−1), WPc for bioethanol (0.97 L·m−3) and WPc for sugar (1.71 kg·m−3). The energy of the aerial parts partitioned as sugar had a direct positive correlation with the availability of water in the soil for all varieties. The RB931011 variety showed the greatest potential for converting water into shoots with an energy of 1.58 GJ·ha−1·mm−1, while the NCo376 variety had the lowest potential at 1.32 GJ·ha−1·mm−1. The productivity of first-generation bioethanol had the highest values per unit of planted area for the greatest water volumes applied and transpired by each variety; this justifies keeping soil moisture at field capacity until harvesting time only for WR100 water replacement level with a maximum ethanol potential of 13.27 m3·ha−1.
ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY AND RISK OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE: A CASE STUDY FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF DATAS, MINAS GERAIS Nara Aparecida Silva Pereira, Antônio Costa Ferreira Neto, Caroline Salezzi Bonfá, Lucas da Costa Santos Irriga, 2023 ANÁLISE DE VIABILIDADE FINANCEIRA E DE RISCO DA MORANGUICULTURA: UM ESTUDO DE CASO PARA O MUNICÍPIO DE DATAS, MINAS GERAIS NARA APARECIDA SILVA PEREIRA1; ANTÔNIO COSTA FERREIRA NETO2; CAROLINE SALEZZI BONFÁ3 E LUCAS DA COSTA SANTOS4 1 Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Rodovia MGT 367 - Km 583 - nº 5000, Alto da Jacuba, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil, nara.pereira@ufvjm.edu.br 2 Departamento de Agronomia, UFVJM, Rodovia MGT 367 - Km 583 - nº 5000, Alto da Jacuba, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil, antonio.costa@ufvjm.edu.br 3 Departamento de Agronomia, UFVJM, Rodovia MGT 367 - Km 583 - nº 5000, Alto da Jacuba, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil, caroline.bonfa@ufvjm.edu.br 4 Departamento de Agronomia, UFVJM, Rodovia MGT 367 - Km 583 - nº 5000, Alto da Jacuba, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil, lucas.santos@ufvjm.edu.br 1 RESUMO O morango é um híbrido (Fragaria x ananassa) que se estabeleceu no Brasil devido à sua adaptabilidade ao clima subtropical e temperado, típicos de locais de altitude ou das regiões Sul e Sudeste do país. É uma hortaliça altamente apreciada e consumida, assim como possui elevada rentabilidade quando comparada a outras culturas. Minas Gerais é o maior produtor nacional de morango, e o município de Datas vem ganhando destaque na produção mineira. O objetivo do trabalho foi realizar o levantamento dos custos de produção dessa hortaliça e analisar a viabilidade financeira para o seu cultivo no local em estudo, a partir dos seguintes indicadores de viabilidade: Valor Presente Líquido (VPL), Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR) e Payback, além de complementação por meio de análise de sensibilidade. Os resultados apontaram que o custo para produzir morangos em Datas/MG foi de R$ 190.617,98/ha e que apesar do alto valor de investimento, os indicadores estudados apresentaram viabilidade econômico-financeira do empreendimento, com valor positivo para VPL (R$ 265.101,94), TIR igual a 54% e Payback de 2,52 trimestres. Portanto, verificou-se, para o ano de 2020 a cultura do morango foi viável no município de Datas, região do Vale do Jequitinhonha de Minas Gerais. Palavras-chave: Análise de Mercado; Custo de produção; Morango; Vale do Jequitinhonha. PEREIRA, N.A.S.; FERREIRA NETO, A.C; BONFÁ, C. S. E SANTOS, L.C. ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY AND RISK OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE: A CASE STUDY FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF DATAS, MINAS GERAIS 2 ABSTRACT Strawberry is a hybrid (Fragaria x ananassa), which was established in Brazil due to its adaptability to the subtropical and temperate climate, typical of high altitude areas or in the South and Southeast regions of the country. High profitability when compared to other cultures. Minas Gerais is the largest national strawberry producer, and the municipality of Datas has been gaining prominence in Minas Gerais production. The objective of the work was to survey the production costs of this vegetable and analyze the financial viability of its cultivation in the study site, based on the following economic viability indicators: NPV, IRR, Payback, in addition to supplementation through of sensitivity analysis. The results showed that the cost to produce strawberries in Datas/MG was R$ 190,617.98/ha and that despite the high investment value, the studied indicators showed economic and financial viability of the enterprise, with a positive value for NPV (R$ 265,101.94), IRR equal to 54% and Payback of 2.52 quarters. Therefore, it was found that, for the year 2020, strawberry cultivation was viable in the municipality of Datas, in the Vale do Jequitinhonha region of Minas Gerais. Keywords: Market analysis; Production cost; Strawberry; Jequitinhonha Valley.
PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION OCCURRENCE IN THREE CITIES IN THE ALTO JURUÁ RIVER BASIN Jefferson Vieira José, Moisés Damasceno Souza, Lívia Braz Pereira, Timóteo Herculino da Silva Barros, Hugo Motta Ferreira Leite, Lucas da Costa Santos Irriga, 2022 PROBABILIDADE DE OCORRÊNCIA DA PRECIPITAÇÃO PLUVIAL EM TRÊS CIDADES DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO ALTO JURUÁ JEFFERSON VIEIRA JOSÉ1; MOISÉS DAMASCENO SOUZA2; LÍVIA BRAZ PEREIRA3; TIMÓTEO HERCULINO DA SILVA BARROS4; HUGO MOTTA FERREIRA LEITE5 E LUCAS DA COSTA SANTOS6 1Centro multidisciplinar, UFAC, Campus Floresta, Rua Estrada da Canela Fina, KM 12 Gleba Formoso - São Francisco, CEP: 69895-000, Cruzeiro do Sul – AC, Brasil, e-mail: jfvieira@hotmail.com.br 2 Centro multidisciplinar, UFAC, Campus Floresta, Rua Estrada da Canela Fina, KM 12 Gleba Formoso - São Francisco, CEP: 69895-000, Cruzeiro do Sul – AC, Brasil, e-mail: moisesdamasceno789@gmail.com 3 Centro multidisciplinar, UFAC, Campus Floresta, Rua Estrada da Canela Fina, KM 12 Gleba Formoso - São Francisco, CEP: 69895-000, Cruzeiro do Sul – AC, Brasil, e-mail: lbraz6368@gmail.com 4 Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, USP, ESALQ, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, Bairro Agronomia, CEP: 13418-900, Piracicaba – SP, Brasil, e-mail: timoteo@usp.br 5Centro multidisciplinar, UFAC, Campus Floresta, Rua Estrada da Canela Fina, KM 12 Gleba Formoso - São Francisco, CEP: 69895-000, Cruzeiro do Sul – AC, Brasil, e-mail: hugo.ufac@gmail.com 6Departamento de Agronomia, UFVJM, Campus JK - Rodovia MGT 367, Km 583, nº5000 - Bairro Alto da Jacuba, CEP: 39100-000 – Diamantina – MG, Brasil, e-mail: lucas.santos@ufvjm.edu.br 1 RESUMO A precipitação pluvial é um componente hídrico de extrema importância em diversas áreas, principalmente, para a agricultura. Seu estudo possui considerável relevância a fim de minimizar possíveis perdas, maximizar os ganhos, além de possibilitar viabilizar um manejo sustentável dos cultivos, bem como do uso da água. Neste estudo objetivou-se analisar a distribuição dos dados de precipitação pluvial em três estações meteorológicas da Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Juruá, bem como avaliar o seu ajuste a seis distribuições de probabilidade (Log-Normal, Weibull, Gama, Normal, Logística e Cauchy), considerando um período de 27 anos, calculados em períodos de 10, 20 e 30 dias, em níveis de probabilidade de 50, 70, 80, 90 e 95%. Observou-se que as distribuições Normal, Logística, Cauchy e Weibull foram as que apresentaram melhor ajuste para os dados de precipitação pluvial. Ao adotar o valor de 80% de probabilidade, foi possível notar que na maioria dos decêndios avaliados, o valor médio ficou abaixo da probabilidade de 80%, o que caracterizou subdimensionamento dos sistemas de irrigação. Palavras-chave: chuva, irrigação, probabilidade. JOSÉ, J. J.; SOUZA, M. D.; PEREIRA, L. B.; BARROS, T. H. S.; LEITE, H. M. F.; SANTOS, L. C. PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION OCCURRENCE IN THREE CITIES IN THE ALTO JURUÁ RIVER BASIN 2 ABSTRACT Precipitation is a water component of extreme importance in several areas, mainly for agriculture. Its study has considerable relevance to minimize possible losses, maximize gains, in addition to enabling sustainable management of plantations and water use. The objective was to analyze the distribution of precipitation data in three meteorological stations in the upper Juruá river Basin, as well as to evaluate their adjustment to six probability distributions (Log-Normal, Weibull, Gama, Normal, Logistic and Cauchy), considering a period of 27 years, calculated over periods of 10, 20, and 30 days, at probability levels of 50, 70, 80, 90, and 95%. It was observed that the Normal, Logistic, Cauchy, and Weibull distributions showed the best fit for the rainfall data. When adopting the value of 80% of probability, it was possible to notice that in most evaluated ten years, the average value stayed below the probability of 80%, which characterizes an undersizing in the irrigation systems. Keywords: rainfall, irrigation, probability.
Effect of water stress on renewable energy from sugarcane biomass Rubens Duarte Coelho, Jonathan Vásquez Lizcano, Timóteo Herculino da Silva Barros, Fernando da Silva Barbosa, Daniel Philipe Veloso Leal, Lucas da Costa Santos, Nathalia Lopes Ribeiro, Eusímio Felisbino Fraga Júnior, Derrel L. Martin Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2019
Sugarcane productivity under drip irrigation in Brazil: Varieties, irrigation depths and ripening processes American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting 2015, 2015
