11th Brazilian Cotton Congress takes place next week in Maceió

From August 29th to September 1st, the capital of Alagoas will host the main actors in the cotton production chain for the 11th edition of the Brazilian Cotton Congress - 11th CBA - held by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa), in the Centro de Maceió Conventions. The congress is one of the biggest events in Brazilian cotton farming and every two years it opens up space for the debate on the sector's main demands, promoting the exchange of information about fiber production in the country. The average audience is 1,5 participants including producers, researchers, students, consultants and exhibitors.

This edition's theme is Innovation and profitability in cotton farming, with a wide program of mini-courses, round tables and plenary sessions.

Embrapa participates in the selection of 190 scientific articles

The acronym in the genesis of the development of tropical agriculture and agricultural production in the Brazilian cerrado, Embrapa, member of the scientific committee of the 11th Brazilian Cotton Congress (11th CBA), approved, with the other members, the 190 articles that will be presented In the event. For the head of Research and Development at Embrapa Algodão, Liv Severino, the CBA is an opportunity to bring together everyone involved with the crop, level up and present to the producer the main advances of the last two years, in addition to the challenges, which, according to the scientist , become more complex as cotton farming progresses.

"In the past, when cotton farming was implemented in the cerrado, it was easier to achieve significant impacts with the application of a new technology. Today, the simplest problems have already been solved and the approach is much more challenging", he states. For Severino, cotton, which can no longer do without a consortium with corn and soybeans, will require even more diversification in the system, with the introduction of new crops into the rotation, such as grass, to generate coverage, and even animals , like the ox.

"The challenge is to reconcile agronomic and economic criteria with applicability to large areas and large-scale production. There is no point in wanting to introduce an activity into the rotation that is not sustainable in all these points. This is precisely the focus of this CBA: unite innovation and profitability for the benefit of the cotton farmer", he says.

In the torrent of so-called "disruptive technologies", Embrapa plays an important guiding role, according to Liv Severino. "Many things are appearing on the market, and most of them have no real viability. One of Embrapa's contributions has been to help the production sector filter the excess information, verify what is valid, leaving the farmer less vulnerable", he highlights. Liv Severino also emphasized the agency's role in government support for the formation of public policies for agriculture.

"The political dimension is always a reflection of society, which, for the most part, is urban and is unaware of the dynamics of production in the countryside. We dedicate a lot of our energy to filling this gap, connecting city and countryside, demonstrating the strategic importance of food generation , fibers and energy", he explains.
Liv Severino highlights the role of Abrapa and cotton farming in the context of Brazilian agricultural production. "Cotton is one of the best organized crops in the country, and this is a clear result of the work that Abrapa carries out, as a strong interlocutor, with great representation, which manages to unite the sector in the fight for great causes", he summarizes.

For the president of Abrapa, Arlindo de Azevedo Moura, government scientific research, led by Embrapa, has redefined Brazilian cotton farming and, increasingly, has also advanced with the support of private research, especially from industry. "Having Embrapa on our scientific committee is more than a satisfaction, it is mandatory", defines Arlindo Moura.

The works selected by Embrapa are grouped into 13 main sections, and cover Beneficiation (1), Biotechnology (5), Entomology (36), Plant Physiology (13), Phytopathology (23), Phytotechnics (33), Matology (10) , Plant Breeding (36), Plant Nutrition (5), Fiber Quality (03), Production Systems (18), Socioeconomics (5) and Sustainability (2).

The CBA will have awards for works selected by authorship and specific categories. Check out the details at www.congressodoalgodao.com.br.