Find out the factors to consider when planting your summer crop

In Brazil, agriculture is now undertaking one of the most important actions for the summer harvest: planting. It is during this period that the plant population is defined, according to the adjustment of each growing region. Thus, we define the number of plants per hectare that will receive solar radiation, absorb water and nutrients and defend themselves against harmful organisms such as insects and fungi, in addition to competing with weeds, among other natural challenges. The success of efficient planting comes from understanding the various factors that are involved in the process.

The technologies available on the market provide producers with the ideal potential to achieve high production levels. However, knowledge is needed to use these solutions, apply them in a compatible way per hectare and achieve successful planting. And this goes for all cultures. Therefore, some factors make up this cycle, some of which are defined before or after the action itself. For example:

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It is the foundation of any production system that seeks a high production rate. It is also responsible for maintaining a productive area over the years, as it allows the conservation of soil, water and nutrients;

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It is a tool to help producers manage planting and carry it out at times with less chance of reduced productivity due to adverse conditions such as drought, frost, hail and high temperatures;

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The Brazilian government provides a platform to manage this important factor, which can be accessed on the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply website (Mapa). To understand its importance, the planting time must be one in which the capture of sunlight by the plants increases, as well as one in which the temperature and soil humidity are favorable for seed germination;

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The seed used must be certified, guaranteeing high vigor and germination values, which will allow uniform development. In addition to these aspects, attention must always be paid to the phytosanitary and physical quality of the product, such as impurity, size, humidity, weight of a thousand seeds, and, of course, the genetic quality that contains the productivity potential;

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It is always important to carefully evaluate its use, but it is difficult to think about implementing a crop without seed treatments with fungicides, insecticides and inoculants. Both insecticides and fungicides protect the seed from attacks on the soil, especially in situations where planting takes place in adverse humidity and temperature conditions. Inoculants aim to make nutrients and other compounds available, improving development and reducing costs. Today, most producers are looking for solutions for more efficient and agile inoculation, such as application in the sowing furrow;

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Genetics defines, for example, the number of seeds to be deposited in the furrow, as well as their resistance to adverse weather conditions and resistance to insects, diseases and herbicides;

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We can say that this is the “food” of the plant. There are different forms of fertilization: mineral, organic, foliar and biological. The most traditional form is mineral, in which part or all of the fertilization can be done broadcast or in the sowing furrow. In general, fertilization in the furrow is more efficient, as the fertilizer deposited there stimulates root development. However, broadcast fertilization is often necessary to improve logistics during planting and ensure that it is completed within the most appropriate window. Foliar fertilization is normally used to provide micronutrients when there is demand, while organic and biological fertilization has recently been gaining strength and showing good results. Inoculation can be considered a form of biological fertilizer, as it provides nitrogen for many crops;

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They must guarantee success in the correct distribution of seeds in the furrow, that is, if they are deposited at the same depth, with uniform spacing in the furrow, without gaps or doubles, throughout the entire terrain, even if it has a hilly topography and without overlapping passes. . To maintain this quality, it is necessary to pay attention to the operational capacity of the machine, because when we want to speed up the operation to close it within the planting window, increasing speed can reduce the quality of the planting, also reducing the productive potential of the crop. Therefore, it is important to adapt the number of machines to the size of the area, avoiding an excessive increase in operating speed. Planting that meets these requirements rationalizes the use of these resources. The technology used in current planters allows for more efficient planting, through the use of agronomic information to plan aspects related to seed rate, as well as real-time monitoring of the operation, combined with technologies that deliver adequate seed distribution.

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AGCO, through its brands Massey Ferguson, Valtra and Fendt, and dealers, offers a package of agronomic solutions called Farm Solutions, which aims to help farmers make more efficient use of resources and production inputs, integrating people, machines and processes, so that the technology can be used at 100% of its capacity, limited only by the knowledge applied per hectare.

In the planting stage, the solution creates recommendations to make it more efficient, such as what is the best planting direction; provides stopping points for refueling machinery; allows the use of controlled machine traffic, reducing soil compaction and erosion; makes recommendations for variable rate seeding and fertilization; makes it possible to create interpolated maps to evaluate the planting carried out; and monitors the agronomic and operational pattern of planting in real time.