Mato Grosso do Sul has Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (ZARC)

The improvement and expansion of research carried out by Embrapa made it possible for Mato Grosso do Sul to be awarded ZARC for two new crops: passion fruit and forage sorghum. To guarantee the quality and excellence of the research work and facilitate the exchange of experiences and information between rural producers, public and private rural assistance technicians and researchers, Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste (Dourados, MS) organized two virtual ZARC validation meetings for the Central-West region, one for each of these two cultures. The ZARC indicates the most favorable periods for planting per crop and per municipality, taking into account the characteristics of the climate, soil type and cultivar cycle. The tool is useful for producers to reduce the risk of climatic adversities coinciding with sensitive crop phases and thus reduce agricultural losses.

The researcher at Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, Carlos Ricardo Fietz, explains that the state has suitable growing conditions for both crops, which can be cultivated practically throughout the state. However, he highlights that “passion fruit cultivation has broad growth potential in Mato Grosso do Sul, mainly in family farming. We have favorable climatic conditions for this crop and several technicians are developing work with passion fruit.” 

Passion fruit - Brazil is the world's largest producer and consumer of passion fruit, with a production of approximately 600 thousand tons, which corresponds to 70% of world production. It is estimated that there are around 50 thousand passion fruit producers in the country, with productivity of up to 90 tons per hectare. Furthermore, passion fruit is cultivated in all biomes, regions and states in Brazil. Despite this, Brazilian exports are still very small, but with ample potential for expansion. The largest exporters of the fruit are Peru and Ecuador. 

This data was just some of the information presented by the researcher from Embrapa Cerrados (Planaltina/DF), Fernando Macena, on Tuesday, May 25th. In addition to presenting a series of relevant information about the crop, describing its cycle in a clear and dynamic way, he described details of the Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc) modeling methodology for the Passion Fruit crop. The talk was given during the Passion Fruit Culture Validation Meeting for the Central-West and North regions of Brazil. The activity Online was organized and carried out by Embrapa. More than 75 people from different cities participated in the meeting, including rural producers, technical consultants, public managers, representatives of cooperatives, banks and private sector companies linked to the passion fruit production chain.

The cycles and phases using mudão technology for passion fruit production were also the topic of the lecture. Know more. Click here (https://www.embrapa.br/busca-de-solucoes-tecnologicas/-/produto-servico/3129/mudas-de-maracujazeiro-tipo-mudao). 

The Deputy Head of Technology Transfer at Embrapa Cerrados, Fábio Faleiros, highlighted the relevance of passion fruit cultivation for Brazil. According to him, ZARC's validation work for passion fruit cultivation is an important instrument of agricultural policy and risk management in agriculture and concluded by saying that “our country has continental dimensions and this makes ZARC's work even more challenging for Embrapa.”

The State Secretary of Agriculture of Mato Grosso do Sul, Rogério Bereta, congratulated Embrapa for the level of excellence of the work carried out by the institution and highlighted that ZARC is fundamental, as it generates security for everyone involved, including states and municipalities. “Fruit growing is an excellent option for family farmers and small producers and the State of Mato Grosso do Sul has encouraged, through Agraer, the strengthening of this important segment in the State”, he concluded. The Municipal Secretary of Agriculture of Dourados (MS), Ademar Zanatta, participated in the meeting. According to him, passion fruit brought many economic benefits to family farmers in the region and added: “We are working to further strengthen and expand passion fruit production in the city.” 

Forage sorghum - Sorghum is of African origin, is the fifth most cultivated cereal in the world and is adapted to conditions of high temperatures and low water availability. The meeting Online validation of the ZARC for forage sorghum was carried out on April 30th. The main benefits of growing forage sorghum are drought tolerance; low production cost; high productivity; adaptation to sandy soils and brackish water; adaptation to both extensive agriculture and family farming; soil protection and weed control; low incidence of nematodes. But the culture is intolerant to low temperatures, as well as some pests and diseases. In addition to this information, the researcher from Embrapa Milho e Sorgo (Sete Lagoas, MG), Daniel Pereira Guimarães presented details of the ZARC methodology for forage sorghum and the main results of the simulations for the Central-West region.

What is ZARC for? - Zoning aims to reduce risks related to climate problems and allows producers to identify the best time to plant, taking into account the region of the country, the culture and different types of soil. The agrometeorological model considers elements that directly influence the development of agricultural production such as water availability, temperature, rainfall, occurrence of frost, crop water demand and geographic elements (altitude, latitude and longitude). Farmers who follow ZARC's recommendations are less subject to climate risks and may still benefit from the Agricultural Activity Guarantee Program (Proagro) and the Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR).

Many financial agents only release rural credit for crops in zoned areas. Listen to the Mapacast audio that explains the functioning and importance of Zarc (https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/centrais-de-conteudo/audios/mapacast/episodio-31-zoneamento-agricola-de-risco-climatico)

Right Planting App - Rural producers and other agribusiness agents can access, through tablets and smartphones, in a more practical way, official information from ZARC, facilitating guidance regarding the federal government's agricultural policy programs.

The ZARC Plantio Certo mobile app (https://www.embrapa.br/informatica-agropecuaria/busca-de-solucoes-tecnologicas/-/produto-servico/6516/aplicativo-zarc---plantio-certo), was developed by Embrapa Informática Agropecuária (Campinas/SP) and is available in the app stores: iOS and Android. Zarc results can also be consulted and downloaded through the “Risk Indication Panel” platform (http://indicadores.agricultura.gov.br/zarc/index.htm).