Rural producers invest in sugarcane management, increase productivity and reduce costs

Although it is considered an easy-to-manage crop, sugar cane is far from being a simple activity to deal with, at least for those seeking high profitability. It is precisely the most costly operation of the activity that is the starting point for achieving high productivity and increasing the longevity of the sugarcane field. Coopercitrus provides opportunities for farmers to improve their results in productivity and production costs.

Rural producers who invest in precision agriculture and management in the sugarcane-plant phase have guaranteed excellent results. This is the case of the Garcia family, which increased productivity by 30% in an area of ​​220 bushels of sugar cane in Coroados, SP. “This year was the first planting that we invested in technology and followed the management recommended by Coopercitrus. We intend to continue investing in more technology and good management. Our estimate is that the results will improve even further in the next harvest”, projects Rodrigo Fabrício, who manages the property.

Careful cultivation guaranteed the farming couple Zezinho and Nara Ravazzi, from Catanduva, SP, a leap in the quality and longevity of their sugarcane field. “Today, we have sugarcane fields with six, seven and even 12 cuts, but we already had 15”, says Zezinho, who reached an average production of 100 tons of sugarcane per hectare in the 2021 harvest, despite facing frost. “Planting has to be done well, because it’s like building a house, if you lay the foundation wrong, there will be problems” reiterates the producer.

In the last two years, the cooperative has invested in area systematization with GeoCoopercitrus Vant. With this service, the producer was able to make better use of the planting area, placing more sugarcane per hectare, in addition to reducing maneuvers in mechanized operations. Satisfied with the results in farming, Zezinho will continue investing in technologies to optimize costs. “In the next harvest, we will work with Geofert, to analyze the soil with georeferencing and then make a more efficient correction”, he plans. By strictly following all the guidelines and planning inputs with the cooperative team, the member managed to save 30% on production costs in the last harvest, increasing profitability.

Planting and handling sugarcane is the most important stage of the crop, as it directly affects productivity, longevity and production costs. “Plant sugarcane is the highest cost per hectare that the producer will have to make during the year. This is an investment that will have effects that can last for the entire crop cycle (on average six years). So, if the producer does not invest at the beginning of planting, in addition to not having the desired results in terms of productivity, he may spend even more to replant or even have to renew the sugarcane field earlier”, analyzes the sugarcane specialist at Coopercitrus , Adriano Veronez.

The challenge, therefore, is to gain efficiency, produce more, making better use of the areas, rationalizing costs and maintaining soil quality, with a low impact on the environment. Good planting, according to Veronez, requires adequate soil preparation and nutritional management: “Carrying out surveys of production environments and soil analysis to understand how the area is physically and chemically is fundamental to successful production.

Coopercitrus makes new technologies closer and more accessible to members. Equipped with specialized services and a qualified technical team, the cooperative offers a complete portfolio of precision agriculture services available to rural producers. Discover some of these solutions.

Geofert

What is it: Georeferenced soil sampling service

What it is for: Collecting soil samples at georeferenced points, generating fertility maps, which indicate the characteristics and variability of the soil in each region of the property. It is ideal for promoting more efficient correction, improving input management and increasing production potential per area.

GeoCoopercitrus Vant

What it is: Service focused on systematizing planting using images generated by Vant (unmanned aerial vehicle).

What it is for: Capturing, through a flight over the property, georeferenced aerial images, which will give rise to high definition maps and orthomosaics. With systematization, it is possible to survey the entire area's planartimetrics, design a better planting direction to increase the productive area, trace routes for mechanized operations to reduce machine maneuvers and simulate runoff flow to combat erosion.

Application of concealers

What is it: Soil improver application service at variable or fixed rates

What it is for: Precisely and intelligently applying inputs, which are distributed in the right dose, directly in the lines, avoiding waste and maximizing the productive potential of crops.

spray drone

What it is: Spot spraying using a drone

What it is for: Apply pesticides in the exact location of weed infestations, using georeferenced mapping data. Furthermore, optimize the use of pesticides and control areas that are difficult to access, with precision in operations, speed and better cost-benefit.