Applying analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to identify decision-making in soybean supply chains: a case of Mato Grosso production

This paper aims to identify and analyze the factors that influence the decision of Mato Grosso’s farmers to produce soybean using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). We found evidence that decision-making of soybean production is related to rural production aspects such as climate, financing, cost of inputs, and soil quality rather than marketing and logistics. The novelty of this paper is the empirical analysis of the decision-making in agricultural production using AHP. The decision model was created and tested considering 21 farmers and 19 experts linked to the soybean production. Three different scenarios were considered: farmers' view, experts' view, and combined view. Our findings indicate that farmers and experts agree with rural aspects are predominant in the decision to plant soybean. Moreover, logistics have been used as an important flag of soybean competitiveness on international trade by soybean stakeholders in Brazil. However, our results show that logistics impact in the soybean decision-making process is low. Due to data limitation access, this study focuses only on Mato Grosso. However, this study has an exploratory character and presents empirical results that may help to understand soybean production over the country.

Impacts of row spacing and fungicide timing on foliar disease, greenstem and yield in double cropped soybeans grown in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States.

Double cropped soybeans are planted on approximately 1/3 of crop acres in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States. Producers have asked if foliar fungicides are required to optimize yields in this region. We assessed the impacts of foliar fungicide application timing and row spacing on foliar disease, greenstem, and yield from 11 site years spanning 2017-2019. Foliar diseases only developed at rateable levels in one location. Fungicide application, regardless of timing, increased percent greenstem over non-treated controls. Fungicide application did not impact soybean yield. Yield was greater in 38.1 cm rows when compared to 19 cm rows. Our data do not support the use of foliar fungicides in double cropped soybean production in this region.

Calidad ecológica y beneficio económico de la producción transgénica y orgánica de la soja en dos fincas del Departamento de Itapúa, Paraguay / Ecological quality and economic benefit of transgenic and organic soybean production in two farms in the Department of Itapúa, Paraguay

La soja es una especie agrícola de gran producción en el Paraguay. El buen rendimiento y cuidados al ambiente no siempre van acompañados en el rubro, existen alternativas de producción de soja como la orgánica, que proponen prácticas cuidando al ambiente. Se analizó en el 2017 un sistema de producción de soja orgánica y un sistema de producción convencional transgénico con las prácticas ambientales y el beneficio económico de ambos. El objetivo general de la investigación fue analizar el sistema productivo de la soja transgénica y de la orgánica, mediante indicadores ecológicos y económicos. Las variables cuantitativas económicas fueron margen bruto y rentabilidad y las variables cualitativas ecológicas fueron conservación de vida del suelo, riesgo de erosión y uso de agroquímicos. Las cualitativas fueron caracterizadas tomando parte de la metodología de Marques y Julca (2015). Los resultados arrojaron que la producción de soja orgánica posee mayor beneficio económico y calidad ecológica que la de soja transgénica.

Increase of Agribusiness in the Brazilian Amazon: Development or Inequality?

The growing global demand for soybean production combined with its increased market value could result in a new supercycle for this commodity. For Brazilian agribusiness, there has been an opportunity to increase exports, particularly in soybean production, in recent years, and therefore, soybean production has been expanding more and more across the states of the Brazilian Amazon. Soybean is the most important grain crop among temporary crops in the Brazilian Amazon; in 2019, it reached a value of USD 21.78 billion, using a planted area of 124,947 km2 (about 55% of the planted area). At the same time, overall deforestation increased significantly in recent years: 10,897 km2 in 2019 and 9811 km² in 2020. To study these changes, economic, social, and environmental sustainability indicators were identified and analyzed using a regression model, and changes in the main economic and socio-environmental indicators were observed that identified a strong positive correlation between agricultural GHG emissions and soybean-planted area. The impact on the local population was also analyzed between the years 2000 and 2019, and there was a mismatch between the population growth rate and the growth rate of the harvested area, which resulted in the displacement of the populations to the cities, and identified a strong positive correlation between the unemployment rate for young people and the soybean-planted area. In this context, this paper presents an analysis of the correlation between soy expansion and the main economic indicators and socioenvironmental impacts in the Brazilian Amazon.

Investment in Information and Communication Technology in Agriculture and Soybean Production Stability: The Case of China

The paper creates the chaotic soybeans production growth model. This model includes in-vestment in ICTs in agriculture. Further, the paper discovers a sequence of Elliot waves in soyabeans market in China in the period 1991–2015. Investment in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in agriculture improved both the productivity and soybean production stability. The stable convergent fluctuations of soybeans production existed in China in the observed period.

Assessment of precursors and terms of tillage for soybeans by plant productivity in the Amur region

Soybean cultivation is the basis of agriculture in the Amur region. The area of soybean sowing is more than 74%, which leads to repeated sowing of soybeans and does not allow to fully realize the potential of cultivated varieties. The choice of predecessors and terms of tillage will increase the efficiency of soybean production in the region. The article presents the results of field ex-periments in the production conditions of agricultural enterprises of the Amur region. Plowing of perennial grasses in the first decade of July provides the highest yield of soybeans sown after perennial grasses. 24% more than plow-ing in the first decade of August. The tillage after perennial grasses to a depth of 12-14 cm with the BDM-8 discator and to a depth of 14-16 cm with the Morris cultivator can increase soybean yields by 39 and 22%, respectively. The choice of wheat as a precursor will improve productivity indicators and achieve yields greater than when cultivated in repeated crops by 25% and by 15% for the steam predecessor. Non-moldboard loosening of the soil after wheat to a depth of 14-16 cm at the end of April contributes to an increase in the productivity of soybean plants by 17.3% more than non-moldboard loos-ening at the end of May. Keywords: SOYBEAN, PREDECESSOR, PERENNIAL GRASSES, TILLAGE, PLANT PRODUCTIVITY, YIELD

PROSPECTS FOR THE SOYBEAN MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY

In order to assess the capabilities of the soybean production industry as one of the factors in the development of the Russian economy, the article provides an overview of global trends and forecasts of the dynamics of supply and demand in the market for soybeans and products from it. The universality and multifunctionality of this group of products is noted, which, together with their useful consumer properties, gives grounds for directing efforts to further develop this segment of the Russian economy. At the same time, the features of the distribution and functioning of the Russian soybean market are highlighted. In addition, the article analyzes the retrospective dynamics of the production of this product in the post-Soviet countries - 15 states of the ex-members of the Soviet Union. Based on the results of the application of a set of statistical methods, a comparison was made of the nature of the development of soybean production in the two leading states among the CIS countries - Russia and Ukraine. The study made it possible to draw the following conclusions: the world soybean market is a steadily developing system, in which the leading positions in production are occupied by the United States, Brazil and Argentina, and in terms of consumption, by China. The share of Russia in world production today is only 1%, while in the post-Soviet space, Russia and Ukraine occupy leading positions as exporters. Pressure from global producers and rising prices for soybeans leads to a significant increase in domestic production in the Russian economy. The field of practical application of the research results is to use some of the findings to conduct a further in-depth study of the prospects for growing soybeans, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the post-Soviet countries, as well as to assess the possibility of Russia entering the world soybean market