Correction of phosphorus deficiency favors cotton production in Bahia

The lack of phosphorus in the soil is a cause for concern for producers who want to achieve greater productivity in their crops. Agronomist Marcelo Morita, consultant at Kasuya Agronomic Intelligence, reports that, in the case of cotton, the correction of this element is carried out in Western Bahia through phosphating. This is a methodology in which a high amount of phosphate fertilizer is used with the aim of raising the levels in the soil to increase the efficiency of phosphate fertilizer maintenance or restitution. “After correction, it is possible with average doses of 70 to 120 kg ha of soluble P2O5 (phosphate concentrate) to no longer limit production due to lack of this nutrient.”

For over 30 years in the agronomic consultancy market, Kasuya is a partner with the Minas Gerais company Satis in supporting the search for new alternatives for Brazilian agriculture. “Satis has contributed through innovative, personalized products adjusted to the needs that we at Kasuya observe in the field”, says Morita. “We are continually searching for innovation in the field, through partners that can impact the production environment in a positive and disruptive way. We believe that raising production and profitability levels while maintaining the longevity of the production system is a matter of survival of the activity”, adds the agronomist.

Agricultural engineer Kirley Martins, commercial manager for Satis in Bahia, states that the Sturdy solution, developed by the brand itself, has been widely used in the region due to its high efficiency in supplying phosphorus and improving the structure of plants. Based in Araxá (MG) and specialized in the development of plant nutrition products, Satis also launched Sollar last year, a technology that contributes to greater plant strength and vigor by optimizing the use of nutrients. Kirley believes that, in the next harvest, the product created for direct application to the soil will play an important role with cotton producers.

Bahia occupies the second position among the largest cotton-producing states, behind only Mato Grosso and the Bahian Association of Cotton Producers (Abapa) projects an increase in the area planted with the commodity of around 9%, compared to 2020. /2021. Production estimated by Abapa is 563 tons of processed cotton (plume), with expected productivity of 1.937 kilos per hectare. Cotton prices are on the rise in January and according to the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea), part of the Department of Economics, Administration and Sociology of the “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, Cepea/Esalq, the advance of quotations have been influenced by the rise in international values, among other factors. Furthermore, the month of January is seasonally marked by prices above the annual average, due to the greater presence of buyers to renew stocks after the end-of-year break.