In some areas of Brazil after the native growth has been removed, up to 600 pounds of lime and 300 pounds of phosphate plus micro nutrients have to be added to change the soil makeup to support soybeans production. A family bought 200,000 acres of raw land in 1988. Today that family has 400,000 acres in crop production. The plane is necessary to travel the couple of hundred miles to his barge unloading dock and ship loading dock on the Amazon River, at Itacoatiara. Another family purchased land 250 miles from the nearest town.
Today there is a town within sight of their home.
Other families have built homes on raw land, developed the land, expanded and today live in the city on weekends. A field of soybeans was observed on one farm with a pod count of 153 per plant. Their soybean genetics are equal or superior to ours. Say an average of 100,000 acres of 60-bushel soybeans equals a nice sum for research each year. There is so much rain that beans can not be left in the field to dry down.