A trial was carried out with the objective of comparatively evaluating the ecological sustainability of four crop rotations under two managements. The rotations were:
a. Oats/Soybeans 2º-Corn-Sunflower-Wheat,
b. Barley/Soybeans 2º-Corn-Soybeans-Wheat,
c. Oilseed rape/Soybeans 2º-Corn-Sorghum-Wheat and
d. Wheat/Soybeans 2º-Corn-Soybeans-Wheat.
The analyzed management were two: one is the “average management”, the other is a “management of greater use of inputs”. For the evaluation, five indicators were used: nutrient balance, contribution to soil organic matter, pesticide use impact, energy efficiency and water use efficiency. The rotation 2 was the one of greater sustainability under the two managements. The management of greater application of inputs improved sustainability mainly through better balance of nutrients despite reducing energy efficiency.
It is considered important to evaluate the other dimensions of sustainability