Dr. Silvino Moreira is an agronomist from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in soils and plant nutrition from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP -University of São Paulo).

In 2002, he was one of the founders of the ReHAgro Company – Human Resources in Agribusiness. Between 2002 and 2009 he worked as a field technical consultant in various crops (corn, grain and silage, soy, sorghum, beans, sugarcane and pasture), in the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, for the company ReHAgro. He was also the coordinator of the company’s agricultural team and professor of training and postgraduate courses. In 2009, he began teaching at the Federal University of São João Del Rei (UFSJ) of the Sete Lagoas Campus. Now at UFLA, his duties include teaching and coordinating the Research Group on Production Management-GMAP, which is composed of undergraduate and graduate students.

Where did you grow up and where are you living now?

What led you to be a soil scientist/plant scientist?

I think that since I was born and raised in a rural area, on a small farm, this made me love plants. I have been working with plants since I was a child. When I started the Agronomy course in Brazil, I realized that one of the biggest problems in Brazilian agriculture was the acidity and low levels of nutrients in the soil. I wanted to better understand this to help Brazilian agriculture.

What brings you to UF?

I already knew the University of Florida was one of the best universities in the world, but after having personally met Professor Pedro Sanchez and knowing he was here at UF, my interest in coming to Florida grew. I have always been a great admirer of Professor Pedro. Every day I’m sure I made the right choice, as I’m having contact with brilliant professors/researchers, who have been very welcoming!

What do you hope to accomplish during your year-long visit to UF?

I look forward to meeting many researchers and students here at UF for future collaborations in research partnerships. In addition, I will always welcome students and professors interested in getting to know my university (UFLA – Federal University of Lavras), my state, my country, Brazilian agriculture… and future partnerships.

What part of your research are you most proud of?

I’ve always worked with sustainable production systems (crop rotation/succession, no-till system), but here I’m having the chance to work with something bigger that involves the whole system, which is the Circular Economy applied to food production. This makes me very proud, as this will be the future of food production systems when thinking about food security in the world. It’s sustainable in every way you think!

In addition, I’m getting the chance to work with a multidisciplinary team, which includes professors from the Soil and Water Sciences Department and the Food Systems Institute.

Do you have any exciting projects or collaborations underway?

Yes. We are doing work with data from circular farms in Brazil in food production. The farms practice sustainable agriculture, integrating grain and animal production.

What motivates you to conduct research?

Search for sustainable solutions for production systems, both from an environmental and economic point of view.

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