Safrinha corn, why invest?

Second-crop corn began to be planted in the mid-80s in Paraná and expanded rapidly in the 90s. Today it is cultivated in the Center-South region of Brazil and basically involves the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and, more recently, Minas Gerais.

The scenario has reached a point where the term "safrinha corn" itself has been replaced by "second corn harvest" as it currently represents the largest planted area and the largest volume of corn grains produced by Brazilian agriculture.

According to the latest survey by Conab (National Supply Company - Dec/2019), 70,9 million tons of corn were produced in the current harvest in a planted area of ​​12,8 million hectares, while the first harvest ( 2018/2019), produced 10,5 million tons in an area of ​​4,1 million hectares, that is, second-crop corn produced 7 times more grains in an area 3 times larger compared to first-crop corn.

More and more producers have invested in planting second-crop corn in the first months of the year with the expectation of a certain return.

The cultivation of off-season corn enables a more rational use of production factors such as land, machinery and equipment and labor, in an idle period of the year, where the price of the grain is generally higher than in the off-season period. summer harvest, and often, the production cost is lower.

The main factors that affect the productivity of off-season corn are material genetics, sowing quality, adequate plant stand, sowing time and balanced plant nutrition. Of these points that directly influence productivity, it is worth paying attention to the planting window for safrinha corn, the closer to the beginning of the window the better response in productivity, precisely due to the reduction in the risk of climatic interference (rainfall regime) during the filling phase of grain.

Today, the technological level used in the main safrinha corn producing regions is similar to that used in the first harvest, with the use of earlier corn cultivars, due to the probability of water deficit and frost at the end of the crop cycle. For the same reason, planting density is normally lower in the off-season: generally it is around 20% lower than in the normal harvest.

Pest and disease control can be greater in the off-season because the problems caused are generally more serious. On the other hand, weed control is usually easier and costs less.

In relation to soil and nutrient management, it is essential to maintain the direct planting system with adequate coverage of the soil surface, which will allow greater availability of water for the crop, as well as carrying out balanced fertilization, including part of the nutrients left by the predecessor crop, mainly nitrogen and potassium and applying an adequate dose of phosphorus at sowing for a greater initial start and sulfur for more efficient grain filling.

Mosaic has the MicroEssentials line, which brings balanced nutrition to this crop. It is a fertilizer that has excellent physical quality, contributing to better operational performance, optimizing fertilization when planting off-season corn. Another very important aspect for 2nd Harvest corn is the increase in productivity, as it is a crop in which the climatic condition directly affects the productive potential. As it is a crop that spends most of its time without the benefit of regular rainfall during the cycle, it requires a large part of the nutrients to be available in the soil solution so that they can be absorbed.

The MicroEssentials line with 15% Sulfur (S) meets the nutritional demands of corn in a balanced way, as it is a phosphate that contains a greater amount of nitrogen (improving crop start-up). Phosphorus in ideal amounts and greater availability, in addition to providing adequate sulfur for the crop, this dynamic of MicroEssentials nutrients promotes better development of the root system (more voluminous) than conventional management. With a more voluminous root system, the plant guarantees better exploration of the roots in the soil seeking nutrients and moisture from the soil, guaranteeing greater safety in a phase of extreme importance for defining the productive potential of the crop.

With MicroEssentials, we have results from more than 160 comparative fields, distributed in the main agricultural regions of Brazil, showing an average productivity increase of 7 scs/ha compared to management with conventional fertilizers. 

Click here and see how it is possible to achieve high performance and high profitability.
 
 
Jorge Arantes 

Gustavo Dalto

Mosaic Fertilizers Technical Services Team