Rain at the beginning of the year favors BrasilAgro's cotton crops

The rains between January and March favored the cultivation of dryland cotton on BrasilAgro farms, in Bahia, Mato Grosso and Paraguay. Harvesting of crops without irrigation begins this month with the expectation of meeting what was established in the company's budget.   

"Unlike last year, upland cotton is doing very well, mainly because of the better rainfall recorded between January and March, allowing for better crop establishment", explains Wender Vinhadelli, director of operations at BrasilAgro, which produces food, fiber and bioenergy in six Brazilian states, in addition to Paraguay and Bolivia.  

According to rainfall analyzes carried out by the company, January recorded rainfall slightly higher than the historical average, both in Bahia (216mm) and in Vale do Araguaia, in Mato Grosso (314mm). In February, registered volumes exceeded what was expected for the month, with 196mm in Bahia and 315mm in Mato Grosso. In March, the amount of rain reduced, but it was still close to the historical average in Bahia, with 109mm, and slightly below in Mato Grosso, 210mm.  

In the case of Paraguay, even with below-average rainfall, the volume recorded in the first quarter also allowed for good cotton development.   

"Our crops, whether rainfed or irrigated, are well developed and should complete the harvest by September within what was budgeted by the company", he reinforces.  

According to the company's projections, the cotton planted area in this production cycle will be 7.129 hectares, compared to the 7.075 predicted at the beginning of the 2023/24 harvest. According to the projected volume released in the last balance sheet to the market, there will be 14.069 tons in the first harvest of the crop and another 12.740 tons in the second harvest (off-season). Compared to last year, the growth of the first harvest is projected at 2% over the volume estimated at the beginning of the production cycle (13.546 t) and the second harvest should remain stable compared to forecast (12.740 t).  

Driving  

In addition to positive rainfall at the beginning of the year, efficient management helped cotton crops achieve good productivity in Bahia. BrasilAgro has used biotechnology to monitor the presence of the cotton boll weevil, a pest identified in the State's crops.   

Using pheromones, male beetles of the species are attracted to a trap, which captures and kills the pest, allowing us to count how many specimens were active in that region.  

"This prior monitoring helps to determine the necessary amount of agrochemical applications to contain the spread of the pest", explains Vinhadelli.  

In cotton crops, the use of aircraft and ground sprayers helps with application.