ABSTRACT Sugarcane is one of Brazil's leading crops, and the transshipment harvesting operation represents a significant portion of operating costs. Among the primary machines used in harvesting is the tractor-transshipment set, with considerable energy demands. This study focused on evaluating the gear selection effect in an agricultural tractor on operational performance and costs during the sugarcane transshipment operation. The treatments consisted of four operational work gears at different engine speeds: r1 – 1150 rpm, r2 – 1230 rpm, r3 – 1360 rpm, and r4 – 1500 rpm on the engine. The analyzed variables were volumetric and specific fuel consumption, operational efficiency, and operational cost. The variables were adapted from ASABE (2011) methodology, and the data were submitted to parametric statistics and regression analysis. The rotation engine selection in tractors directly affected fuel consumption with positive angular coefficients and r2 between 0.92-0.96. Fuel consumption reduces by 37.5%, adopting 1150 rpm compared to 1500 rpm rotation. The highest rotation (1500 rpm - r4) increased the volumetric and productive fuel consumption, enabling savings up to reduced fuel cost by 1.08 US$ ha -1 . Thus, training sugarcane transshipment operators is essential to optimize the production process efficiency and reduce costs.

ABSTRACT One of the reasons for the success of a productive culture is the correct sowing. Therefore, the seeds must be properly dosed, deposited and not damaged by the metering mechanism of the seed drill. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate in a simulator the sorghum seed deposition by a metering mechanism with continuous flow in different conditions of slope and sowing speed, and evaluate the quality of the deposited seeds assessing mechanical damage and germination. The experiment was carried out at the College of Agricultural Sciences, UNESP in Botucatu-SP, being used a simulator equipped with seed metering mechanism of helical channelled rotor type. The experimental design was randomized in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement with six replications. The factors were three lateral slopes drill, 3%, 8% and 16%, and two sowing speed, 4 and 10 km h-1. For the damage and germination variables we added a control treatment whose seeds were evaluated without being distributed by the metering mechanism. The results indicate that increasing the lateral slope and working speed reduce the rate of seed deposition. The metering mechanism provides mechanical damage and contributes to the reduction of seed germination.

RESUMO O milho é um produto de grande importância na agricultura, em função de sua ampla utilização e das formas de produção. Tendo em vista esses cenários, o trabalho teve como objetivo a análise econômica do sistema de produção de milho utilizando diferentes híbridos de milho e preparos de solo. O estudo foi realizado na Fazenda Experimental Lageado, pertencente à Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas/UNESP de Botucatu-SP. Foram analisados dois híbridos em dois tipos de sistemas de preparo do solo, sendo milho convencional e milho transgênico, em preparo convencional e cultivo mínimo. Para os diferentes tipos de cultivo, foram utilizados os mesmos tratores, implementos e adubação, sendo os seguintes parâmetros analisados: custos operacionais, custos de insumos, renda bruta, renda líquida e relação benefício/custo dos sistemas de cultivo. Conclui-se que a utilização de milho transgênico proporciona redução dos custos operacionais e com insumos, possibilitando, em preparo de cultivo mínimo do solo, maior produtividade, renda líquida e relação benefício/custo.

ABSTRACT Corn is an agricultural crop of major importance regarding its wide use and production forms. Given these background, this work aimed at analyzing economically the corn production chain with different hybrids and soil tillage systems. The study was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Lageado, located in the College of Agricultural Sciences/ UNESP, campus in Botucatu-SP, Brazil. We analyzed two corn hybrids, one conventional and another transgenic, on soil prepared by conventional cultivation practices and minimum cultivation. The same tractors, implements, and fertilizers were employed for both tillage systems. We evaluated operating costs, input costs, gross income, net income, as well as benefit and cost ratio of both cropping systems. Therefore, we concluded that transgenic corn provides reduced operating costs and inputs, enabling higher yield, net income and benefit/cost relationship when cropped with minimum cultivation practices.

O plantio cruzado da soja consiste em semear a área em duas passadas de modo que a segunda fique perpendicular à primeira, formando um tabuleiro de xadrez. Desta forma, o objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade e os custos de produção da cultura da soja quando semeada em diferentes arranjos de semeadura cruzada. O experimento foi realizado nas safras 2011/2012 e 2012/2013, em área cultivada em sistema de plantio direto. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados com 5 tratamentos e 8 repetições. Os tratamentos foram: semeadura em linhas paralelas com adubação e população de plantas recomendada; semeadura cruzada com população e adubo em dobro; semeadura cruzada com população recomendada e adubo em dobro; semeadura cruzada com população em dobro e adubação recomendada; semeadura cruzada com população de plantas e adubo recomendado. Os resultados mostraram maior produtividade para o tratamento de semeadura cruzada com população de plantas em dobro e adubo recomendado; apesar disto, a semeadura convencional em linhas paralelas apresenta maior receita líquida do que a semeadura cruzada da soja sendo, então, mais rentável para o produtor.

Soybean cross-seeding tillage came from better spatial arrangement of plants per area, so some producers have opted for this tillage system, which consists in seeding the area in two steps, forming a chessboard with perpendicular lines of tillage. This study aims to analyse the soybean productivity and production costs when it planted in different dispositions of crossed tillage. The experiment was conducted during the harvests 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 at Lageado Farm of the FCA/UNESP, Botucatu-SP, in an area cultivated under no-tillage. The experimental design was in randomized block with five treatments and eight replications. The treatments were: seeding in parallel rows with recommended fertilization and recommended plant population (conventional); cross-seeding with doubled fertilization and doubled plant population; cross-seeding with recommended plant population and doubled fertilization; cross-seeding with doubled plant population and recommended fertilization; cross-seeding with fertilization and recommended plant population. The results showed statistical difference among the treatments, with increased productivity for the cross-seeding with doubled plant population and recommended fertilization. However the conventional tillage with parallel lines shows higher net earnings than soybean cross-seeding, being more profitable for producer.