Economic returns and resource efficiency of diversified agricultural systems in a tropical savanna

This study evaluated energy production, economic return and efficiency in the use of inputs in diverse agricultural production systems in a sandy loam in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso. Five production systems representing increasing levels of plant functional diversity and system complexity were analyzed: very low (VL), low (LW), medium (AVG), long-term medium (AVL), and high system complexity with livestock integration (ICLS). Production was quantified in terms of forage, grains, meat, and fiber, with outputs converted to energy (GJ kg −1 ) and economic return per kilogram of mineral fertilizer applied as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P 2 O 5 ), and potassium (K 2 O). The most diversified system (ICLS) increased energy production by 350.1% (368.78 GJ ha −1 ) and cotton productivity by 74,6% and was also the most efficient in terms of the use of inputs, with 19.6, 3.8 and 4.5 GJ kg −1 of N, P and K, respectively. The conversion of meat production into soybean and cotton equivalents resulted in a 48.8% increase in grain and fiber productivity in relation to the VL system. The economic return was greater in the ICLS system, with 24.3 USD kg −1 of N, 20.2 USD kg −1 of P and 21.6 USD kg −1 of K. These results indicate that the increase in system complexity resulting from high plant functional diversity combined with livestock integration promoted greater economic return, productivity, and efficiency in the use of mineral resources, with the ICLS showing the highest performance under the studied conditions.