Wheat cultivars for the Cerrado surpass productivity

In the Cerrado of central Brazil, the end of the rainy season also marks the beginning of the sowing season for the winter crop (irrigated crops), with wheat being one of the most competitive options in 2014. Wheat farming in the region is related with high productivity and excellent industrial quality, a consequence of the technological base developed by Embrapa Cerrados and Embrapa Trigo no Cerrado.

Embrapa, together with research, extension and cooperative bodies, defined at the 2014th Meeting of the Brazilian Wheat and Triticale Research Commission the technical information for irrigated wheat cultivation in the region of Central Brazil, in the states of Goiás, Minas Gerais, Bahia and Mato Grosso and in the Federal District, which should be used in the XNUMX harvest. The technical information highlights Embrapa's wheat cultivars, sowing time and some cultural practices.

The cultivation of irrigated wheat must be preceded by planning that structures the crop with all the basic prerequisites for the enterprise to reach a successful conclusion. In planning, one must seek to use a set of techniques that lead to the crop having good production potential and quality of harvested grains.

The wheat cultivars developed by Embrapa, which currently occupy 90% of the area sown with irrigated wheat in the Brazilian Cerrado, are listed by State and soil type.

Minas Gerais

For cultivation with irrigation, at altitudes above 400m, soils with good fertility and without exchangeable aluminum

BRS 264	Embrapa 22
BRS 254	Embrapa 42

BRS 264

Embrapa 22

BRS 254

Embrapa 42

Goiás and Federal District

For cultivation with irrigation, at altitudes above 500 m, soils with good fertility and without exchangeable aluminum

BRS 264
BRS 254	Embrapa 22
	Embrapa 42

BRS 264

BRS 254

Embrapa 22

Embrapa 42

Bahia

For cultivation with irrigation, at altitudes above 600m, soils with good fertility and without exchangeable aluminum

EMBRAPA 221	EMBRAPA 421
BRS 2541	BRS 2641

EMBRAPA 22¹

EMBRAPA 42¹

BRS 254¹

BRS 264¹

1 Recommended only for the western region of the state.

Mato Grosso

For cultivation with irrigation, at altitudes above 600m, soils with good fertility and without exchangeable aluminum

Embrapa 22	Embrapa 42
BRS 254	BRS 264

Embrapa 22

Embrapa 42

BRS 254

BRS 264

Tabela 1 - Embrapa irrigated wheat cultivars indicated for Central Brazil, states where they are indicated, cycle, height, reaction to lodging and commercial class

Cultivar	State	Cycle	High jump	Bedding1	Class
BRS 254	MG, GO, DF, MT, BA	Precocious	Low	MR	breeder
BRS 264	MG, GO, DF, MT, BA	Precocious	Low	MR	.
Embrapa 22	MG, GO, DF, MT, BA	Precocious	Low	MR	breeder
Embrapa 42	MG, GO, DF, MT, BA	Precocious	Low	R	breeder

Cultivar

State

Cycle

High jump

Bedding1

Class

BRS 254

MG, GO, DF, MT, BA

Precocious

Low

MR

breeder

BRS 264

MG, GO, DF, MT, BA

Precocious

Low

MR

.

Embrapa 22

MG, GO, DF, MT, BA

Precocious

Low

MR

breeder

Embrapa 42

MG, GO, DF, MT, BA

Precocious

Low

R

breeder

1 R = Resistant; MR = Moderately resistant.

Tabela 2 - Embrapa wheat cultivars recommended for Central Brazil, with their reaction to blight and fungal diseases

Cultivar	Crestament	Powdery mildew		Rust			Helminthosporiosis	blast
			Sheet		thatch
BRS 254	S	S	S		-		MS	S
BRS 264	MS	AS	S		S		S	S
Embrapa 22	MS	AS	S		S		S	S
Embrapa 42	MS	S	S		S		S	S

Cultivar

Crestament

Powdery mildew

Rust

Helminthosporiosis

blast

Sheet

thatch

BRS 254

S

S

S

-

MS

S

BRS 264

MS

AS

S

S

S

S

Embrapa 22

MS

AS

S

S

S

S

Embrapa 42

MS

S

S

S

S

S

Note: AS = Highly susceptible; S = Susceptible; MS = Moderately susceptible; MR = Moderately resistant; R = resistant; - = No information.

BRS 264

It has high productive potential and good industrial grain quality. It is the cultivar most sown by wheat farmers in central Brazil, occupying 80% of the area cultivated with wheat in the cerrado. This is the earliest of those recommended for central Brazil. Its cycle from emergence to maturation is 110 days, while other cultivars have a cycle of around 125 days. BRS 264 does not tolerate rain at the stage of final maturation of the grains, which is why sowing must be scheduled so that the harvest is carried out at the time of lowest risk of rain. It has high productivity potential; in the 2012 and 2013 harvests, several crops were observed with grain yields exceeding seven tons of grain per hectare in the wheat-growing regions of central Brazil. In the municipality of São João da Aliança, Goiás, 7,6 tons of grain were harvested per hectare, in an area of ​​120ha, irrigated by a central pivot. To achieve high productivity, around 140kg/ha of total nitrogen (base + top dressing) and application of growth reducer (trinexapaque-ethyl) must be used in the crop elongation phase (with the first node visible) at the dose of 0,5L/ha. The BRS 264 cultivar is classified as Bread Wheat and has an average general gluten strength (W) of 270 x 10^-4 Joules ranging from 250 to 314 x 10^-4 Joules and an average stability of over 15 minutes. It presents an industrial yield (data from Brabender experimental mill) of 66,4% (based on 14% moisture) on average. It also tends to have a high hectoliter weight. This cultivar is well accepted by the milling industry, which produces flour for the production of bread and pasta.

BRS 254

Cultivate with excellent industrial quality and productive potential. Produces grains with high gluten strength. In the 2012 and 2013 harvests, yields of up to 6,5 tons of grains per hectare were observed, in crops with good soil fertility, in the wheat-growing region of the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás. To achieve this productive potential, the use of approximately 140kg/ha of total nitrogen (base + top dressing) and application of growth reducer (trinexapaque-ethyl) in the crop elongation phase (with the first visible node) at a dose of 0,5L/ha. Because of the tendency to lodging, nitrogen use should be limited if growth suppressant is not used. BRS 254 has an average overall gluten strength (W) of 350 x 10^-4 J (obtained by alveography), considered the strongest gluten wheat of the materials being recommended for central Brazil; It has an average stability of 20 minutes and an industrial yield (data from Brabender experimental mill) of 62,2% (based on 14% moisture), on average. It tends to have a high hectoliter weight.

Embrapa 22

It is an old cultivar and is still on the market due to its excellent industrial quality and productivity characteristics. Embrapa 22 is classified as improving wheat, on average it has a high gluten strength (W) greater than 350 x 10^-4 Joules and stability above 16 minutes. The grain production potential of this cultivar, in commercial crops in the wheat-growing regions of the Cerrado, is 6.000kg/ha. To achieve this productivity, the growth reducer (trinexapaque-ethyl) must be used in the elongation phase of the crop (with the first visible node) at a dose of 0,4L/ha. It has low tolerance to lodging and high tillering capacity. Because of the tendency to become lodging, there should be a limitation in the use of nitrogen, if the growth reducer is not used.

Embrapa 42

Cultivar of excellent industrial quality and good productivity potential. The grain production potential of this cultivar, in commercial crops in the wheat-growing regions of the Cerrado, is 5.700kg/ha. It has an average gluten strength (W) of 300 x 10^-4 Joules, average stability of 15 minutes, considered a "balanced" gluten wheat. With these characteristics the Cultivar Embrapa 42 is commercially classified as Improved Wheat. Cultivate with good tolerance to lodging. Due to its lower tillering capacity, it must be cultivated with a higher density of plants than other cultivars recommended for central Brazil. In recent years it has shown great general susceptibility to diseases, especially leaf spots.

sowing time

Sowing is recommended from April 10th to May 31st, giving preference to the month of May. At this time, wheat finds favorable conditions for good development, being favored by lower temperatures in the months of May, June and July.

Sowing in April is at greater risk of Blasone and leaf spots (helmintosporioses). On the other hand, delayed sowing runs the risk of reduced productivity due to a combination of unfavorable temperature and photoperiod, in addition to the risk of undesirable rain at harvest with consequent loss of grain quality.

Density, spacing and sowing depth

Respecting the spacing (17cm-20cm between rows), you should obtain around 330 to 400 plants born per m², and densities lower than 330 plants per m² can affect productivity and higher than 400 plants per m² tend to lead to lodging with consequent loss of grain productivity and quality. The sowing depth should be around 5cm.

Preference should be given to line sowing, as it distributes the seeds more evenly, offers greater efficiency in the use of fertilizers and less possibility of damage to plants when using pre-emergence herbicides.

Check out the article in issue 181 of Grandes Culturas.