Sowing time in soybean seed production in tropical floodplain conditions

According to data from the Brazilian Seed and Seedling Association (Abrasem), the seed sector generates more than 600 thousand jobs and contributes more than 220 million reais in taxes per year. Additionally, the technical-scientific literature highlights that seeds are considered the basic and fundamental input for success in agriculture.

Regarding soybean cultivation, it is considered one of the main agricultural products due to its wide use in animal and human food. However, the production of quality seeds is influenced by cultural factors and among them, the sowing time is considered to have the greatest impact as it is directly related to the moment of flowering and harvesting of the crop. In addition to cultural factors, research also demonstrates the influence of genetics, that is, the difference in seed quality between soybean materials.

Specifically, the tropical floodplain region in Tocantins has proven to be important in seed production during the off-season period. For example, in Lagoa da Confusao-TO there was an increase of more than 100% in the area allocated for soybean seed production between 2013 and 2018.

In view of this, three field trials are being conducted in Lagoa da Confusao-TO, under tropical floodplain conditions, with the evaluation of different soybean materials in terms of seed production and quality. In this context, with the carrying out of the research project entitled Sowing time in the production of soybean seeds in tropical floodplain conditions, it is expected:

• know the effect of the sowing time, under Tropical Floodplain conditions, on the agronomic characteristics and physiological quality of soybean material seeds;

• know the relationship between such characteristics and;

• identify superior soybean materials and favorable sowing times.

Therefore, the information/results obtained by the project can allow producers and seed companies in the region to enhance the production of soybean seeds with high vigor and germination based on the choice of cultivars depending on the sowing time. It is worth noting that since 2021, normative acts of the Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Tocantins (ADAPEC), referring to the State Program for controlling Asian Soybean Rust, provide specific information on the sowing date depending on the cycle of soybean material for seed production in tropical plains.

Additionally, an important contribution of the project is the comprehensive and contextualized professional training of students from Technical and Higher Education courses, linked to Agricultural Sciences, due to their active participation in research activities, from experimental planning to the dissemination of results.

The actions mentioned above are supported by the pillars of economic and social development of the state with the generation of applied knowledge and the possibility of allocating workforce in the productive arrangements of the local region.

By Edmar Vinicius de Carvalho e Gustavo André Colombo, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Tocantins