Current situation of the corn seed market for the 2021/2022 harvest

Good seed is capable of showing the producer the entire trajectory of his future crop

08.03.2022 | 09:20 (UTC -3)
Israel Alexandre Pereira Filho and Emerson Borghi
Israel Alexandre Pereira Filho and Emerson Borghi

Over the years, corn seed companies have presented significant advances in genetics and biotechnology and, consequently, have increased the productive and qualitative efficiency of grains, thus adding value to the entire corn agribusiness chain. It can be said that choosing a seed with high technology embedded defines the technical level of a crop, as well as its productive potential.

Good seed is capable of showing the producer the entire trajectory of his future crop from the moment of planting until harvest. For this reason, it is common to say that, depending on the level of technology of a seed, the producer will have a crop with a low, medium or high technological level. Therefore, the adoption of high-tech seeds, combined with adequate plant management and the dedication of the producer, made it possible to place Brazil among the top three corn producers and exporters in the world.

The cost of seed can reach up to 20% of the cost of running a corn crop. For these and other reasons, such as growing region, soil and climate conditions, corn producers must always opt for certified quality seed, whether transgenic or not.

Analyzing the seed market considering the cultivar survey carried out annually by Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, we have the following data. Last harvest, 98 new cultivars were made available on the market. For the 2021/2022 harvest, 259 cultivars will be available, of which some launched exclusively for the 2021/2022 summer and winter harvest, as well as cultivars launched in previous harvests, but still in demand by the market due to the high level of technology and the ease of acquisition in the different growing regions.

Regarding new events, it can be said that they remain the same, but with emphasis on VT PRO 3 and Agrisure Viptera 3, both in the 2020/2021 and current harvests (2021/2022). For the next harvest, the VT PRO 4 event should enter the market, which is the new biotechnology for hybrid corn, which provides broad protection against the main pests that can affect the aerial and root parts of the plants. Cultivars with Powercore Ultra and VT PRO 2 events are well demanded by the market.

Simple hybrids are responsible for more than 50% of the corn market in Brazil, both in this and previous harvests. In this harvest they make up 50,19% of the market; triples, 1,93%; doubles, 1,16%; and varieties are 2,70% of the market. An insignificant percentage of Top-Cross and synthetic hybrids are still available. Most seed companies do not inform the type of hybrid launched, which represents 42,86% of the total cultivars surveyed in the period.

In relation to cultivar cycles, the early cycle continues to dominate the seed market, as in other crops, followed by super-early and semi-early crops, respectively. Historically, the early cycle corn hybrid has been the most demanded by producers, both in the first and second harvests, which is why it is the most represented in the market.

The color diversity of corn seeds results from the accumulation of pigments derived from two main specialized classes of metabolites – carotenoids and anthocyanins (a class of flavonoids).

The corn market and processing industry in Brazil normally has a preference for the orange-colored grain. Most of the cultivars currently developed by seed industries are orange in color, responsible for 35,13% of the market, followed by yellow-orange corn (with 22,39%) and, finally, yellow, with 12,35%.

In relation to the texture and shape of the grains, corn with a semi-hard texture is the most demanded by the producer, as it is the most sought after by the grain processing industry, as it provides greater yield in the manufacture of foods derived from the cereal in general. Semi-hard texture corn represents 42,86% of the market, followed by semi-hard corn, responsible for 23,55% of sales.

All corn cultivars that are on the seed market, whether recently released or from previous harvests, are registered in the Doutor Milho application, which is updated annually with new cultivars released on the market, aiming to assist producers in the cultivation of summer crops. and winter each year.

The application was developed by Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, with the aim of keeping producers up to date with new technologies incorporated into cultivars. This app also provides information on agronomic characteristics, tolerance and resistance to the main diseases that attack corn plants, which can vary depending on the region and climatic conditions. To better choose the correct seed for each region, it is suggested that the producer has good knowledge of the local climate situation and makes use of Zarc (Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning).

In general, the corn seed market has shown similar behavior season after season, in relation to the characteristics of the cultivars depending on the market, climate and soil conditions, and the needs of industries, which absorb between 60% and 80% of the product for the manufacture of animal feed, with requirements regarding the color and texture of the grains.

Israel Alexandre Pereira Filho e Emerson Borghi (Embrapa Corn and Sorgo Researchers)

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