Sustainable research initiatives focusing on agricultural adaptation to climate change in the Brazilian semiarid region

Angelotti, Francislene; de Oliveira, Anderson Ramos; Signor, Diana; Fernandes Júnior, Paulo Ivan; Voltolini, Tadeu Vinhas

doi:10.1590/S1678-3921.pab2025.v60.04136

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COP30: Crop Science/ Review • Pesq. agropec. bras. 60 • 2025 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-3921.pab2025.v60.04136 linkcopy

Sustainable research initiatives focusing on agricultural adaptation to climate change in the Brazilian semiarid region

Iniciativas de pesquisa sustentável com foco na adaptação agrícola às mudanças climáticas no Semiárido brasileiro

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

The objective of this review was to describe the research implemented and with potential use in the Brazilian semiarid region for adaptation to climate change. The study covered topics such as climate risk mitigation, phytosanitary responses, crop resilience to heat and water stress, forage species that are native and cultivated in livestock systems, crop-livestock-forestry integration, microbial inputs, soil quality and carbon sequestration, and water technologies. For this, searches were conducted in databases and repositories of government agencies and international organizations. As a strategy, a set of terms, including the cited topics, were associated with the term “Brazilian semiarid”. This review also highlights critical research gaps in these domains. From this analysis, it is notable that ongoing adaptation technologies have often been applied in isolation in rural landscapes, indicating that the main challenge of research lies in developing synergies between these technologies.

Index terms:
bioinputs; Caatinga; technology integration; tolerant genotypes; tropical agriculture; water technologies

Technology/practice	Description	Current status	Reference
Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (ZARC)	ZARC supports growers in the selection of crops for the different systems across the Brazilian Semiarid region.	Under application in the field.	Brasil (2023)
Plant Breeding	The development of environmentally adapted plants to harsh environmental conditions.	Plant genotypes available in the market, along with several other genotypes, are undergoing selection and validation.	Santos et al. (2011); Oliveira et al. (2017); Nascimento et al. (2025).
Forage development/adaptation	Research actions on genetic improvement and genotype selection of forage species.	Forage systems have already been transferred to the growers. New systems are undergoing validation.	Ferreira-Neto et al. (2023); Nascimento et al. (2023); Oliveira et al. (2022); Lima et al. (2022); Pereira et al. (2020).
Silvopastoral systems	The use of native forest cover as a strategic food resource for livestock. Development of practices to improve the efficiency of these systems	Under application in the field. Several other systems are undergoing validation in different experimental stations.	Santos Neto et al. (2022,2023a); Izidro et al. (2024).
Crop management	Determining the best practices for field management. Investigations on different plant consortia.	Under application in the field.	Alves et al. (2022); Nascimento et al. (2024b).
Microbial bioinputs	Microbial inoculants to improve crop resilience under drought conditions.	Two products are available in the market, with several other microbes under evaluation.	Kavamura et al. (2013a); Santana et al. (2020); Bioma (2025).
Soil management	The use of cover crop mixes for improving soil C sequestration and increasing soil quality and health under no-tillage management.	Undergoing validation	Giongo et al. (2020); Nascimento et al. (2024a).
Water catchment	Technologies such as production cisterns, underground dams, ponds, and dam systems	The Brazilian government has adopted these technologies for several years as social technologies.	Ferreira et al. (2016); Brito et al. (2015); Carvalho et al. (2022); Melo et al. (2023)
Irrigation optimization	The use of efficient irrigation	Under application in the field. Several other systems are undergoing validation.	Coelho & Simões (2015); Simões et al. (2021).
Brackish and saline water use	Practices of using salt waters seasonally and strategically	The Brazilian government has adopted these technologies as public policies for several years.	Porto et al. (2006)

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