Rice growers show how precision agriculture guaranteed productivity without increasing production costs

In the field, the work doesn't stop. The weather cooperated, the rice harvest continues at a fast pace and is heading towards the final stretch, with more than 70% of the production harvested. On April 8, the average productivity in Rio Grande do Sul was 8.946 kg/hectare, according to data from the Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA). On the other hand, in areas where the harvest has been completed and the field is cleared, soil management has already begun for the 2021/22 cycle.

Rice fields have been registering an increase in productivity and, consequently, profitability, thanks to Precision Agriculture (AP). The technology helps in the complete mapping of soil fertility and the prescription of correctives and fertilizers, in varied doses and according to the needs of each area of ​​the same property, without excesses.

In conventional rice farming, the standard application is, on average, 200 kilos of fertilizers per hectare. But this amount could be much smaller, according to Alex Kologeski, director and technical manager at Agroplantas. “Precision agriculture calculates the soil’s macro and micronutrients, detecting deficiencies in nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and limestone. From there, we can say that fertilization is done 'meter by meter', some places need less fertilizer and, sometimes, the producer is throwing it away because he doesn't even need it, this varies a lot”, explains the specialist. “The end result will be uniformity of plants throughout the crop with less expense.”

In Barra do Ribeiro (RS), Felipe Schonhofen celebrates the excellent results of the current harvest, in an area of ​​900 hectares. “This year was fantastic, it has been a turning point for the property. We strictly followed all the guidelines and applied nitrogen and potassium at a variable rate. Average production went from 7,5 tons to 13 tons per hectare, we didn't imagine it would improve so quickly”, says the rural producer, who is from the fourth generation of a rice farming family and is already making projections for the next cycle. “We identified that some areas have a phosphorus problem, so we will correct this with AP and apply limestone. Everything can't be done in just one year, because it's costly and the soil doesn't absorb it either. We have taken the first steps, as time goes by we will be able to homogenize the crop, minimize costs further and have excellent production, that is what we want”.

The first step is to delimit the crop area, for virtual mapping, using equipment such as GPS and Geographic Information System (GIS) software. From there, data collection in the field is planned. There are 15 collections every two hectares, which, in large areas, results in thousands of samples and subsamples, which will later be analyzed in the laboratory.

Agroplantas works with mechanized sample collection. “In AP service, with mechanized equipment, the main advantage is that the hydraulics are not tiring. If it is configured to take samples at a depth of 20 centimeters, sampling uniformity is guaranteed at all points. On the other hand, no one doubts that manual sampling can also be done well. But an operator working all day in the sun, making holes with a shovel, no matter how well trained he is, perhaps the 20 centimeters will turn into 19, 18 or even 15 at the end of a day”, analyzes Márcio Albuquerque, director of Falker Automação Agrícola, company that produces equipment for the sector.

In addition to rice, the Agroplantas Engenharia & Agronegócio team sets up complete AP projects for other crops, such as soybeans and corn. All work is carried out via georeferencing, a precise demarcation, carried out through geographic coordinates, which are confirmed by the Geodetic Networks of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). “Based on the sampling and the results of the soil analysis, we carry out mapping and our client knows exactly where he will apply 1 kilogram and the place where he will need to apply 100 kilograms of fertilizer, for example. With less fertilization, savings on inputs can reach 20 percent and will also result in standardization of crops, with high quality. He knows that in this meter he will harvest 1kg and in that one further along, too” adds Alex.

Agroplantas has been in the agricultural market for over ten years and has highly qualified technicians. Headquartered in Sertão Santana, 80 kilometers from Porto Alegre, it serves clients throughout Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to Precision Agriculture, it also provides georeferencing services for rural and urban properties, environmental licensing, consultancy and execution for regularization of rural and urban properties, rural credit and agricultural insurance.