Shadowing of a bioenergetic species in soybean development: an analysis of the feasibility potential of this integration

There is currently a lack of information in the literature on the integrated production of macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) and soybean (Glycine max) crops, and the importance of expanding integrated production systems; therefore, the objective of this work was to identify the effects of macauba shading on growth, development, and productivity of different soybean cultivars. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design in a factorial scheme (4 × 2), with four cultivars and two production systems (monoculture and crop-forest integration), and four replicates per treatment. All soybean cultivars in the crop-forest integration system showed plant stagnation due to the shade level of the palm trees, as well as a reduction in the leaf area index and chlorophyll content in the leaves. Regarding reproductive parameters, grain, and oil yield, the cultivars responded differently between the production systems, revealing an interaction between the genotype and the environment. Our methodology was not favorable to soybean production; therefore, the management of spacing between palm trees and the selection of soybean genotypes that are more adapted to shaded environments are strategies that can allow for the integrated production of these species.