Seed quality and planting care are decisive in the results of soybean crops

The quality of crop installation was discussed in a panel on the last day of the IX Brazilian Congress of Soy and Mercosoja 2022, held in Foz do Iguaçu (PR). According to the speakers, the combination of seed quality and plantability is the basis of crop productivity.

The panel was opened by Embrapa Soja researcher José de Barros França Neto, who spoke about the importance of using high-quality seeds. He showed research results that indicate a 10% increase in productivity in plantations with high vigor seeds.

França presented data from the Brazilian Soy Seed Association (Abrass) and the Brazilian Seed and Seedling Association (Abrasen) which indicate that 65% of soy seeds used in Brazil are official and certified and 35% are saved seeds, produced by the company itself. soybean grower, or they are illegal seeds. It also showed results of the evaluation carried out on 2.532 seed samples collected in different producing regions over four harvests. Of these, 45% had a high or very high level of vigor, while 55% were classified as having a medium or low level of vigor.

“We have a vast field to improve our seeds. It is possible to achieve gains of 10% to 15% in productivity. For free, Brazil can increase its production by 7 million tons. This is sustainable, as we are not going to do anything else”, said França.

Just as seed quality is an important point, ensuring the best germination and emergence, with less time and with an adequate plant stand, plantability is also a decisive factor.

“The priority in farming is the seed. The maximum productive potential is when it is stored. From then on, each handling, each operation reduces this potential. The producer’s job is to manage to reduce losses”, said the consultant and one of the panelists, Marcos Leal.

A numerical example of the importance of planting care was shown by França. The researcher calculated the losses generated by one less soybean plant per square meter. According to him, each failure per square meter causes a loss of 180 to 240kg of soybeans per hectare. Considering the price of a bag of soybeans at R$190, the producer stops earning R$70.300 on 100 hectares or R$703.000 for every 1.000 hectares.

Consultant Marcos Leal showed the importance of adjusting the seeder in different soil straw conditions, depending on the previous crop. In the case of post-cotton sowing or in crop-livestock integration systems, with brachiaria straw, care must be even greater to avoid seeds outside the furrow or seedlings with delayed growth due to straw obstruction.

Representative of John Deere, panelist João Paulo de Freitas highlighted four factors that are the agronomic pillars for successful sowing. One is the sowing window, another is the uniform distribution of seeds, another the uniform emergence of seedlings and, finally, the correct population of plants.

He showed existing technologies in the machinery that help the producer to have greater efficiency in each of these points.

In the case of better use of the sowing window, he showed that the factors that affect operational capacity are implement width, speed and operational efficiency.

“Operational efficiency is where you can most easily improve. But, to achieve this, the first step is to measure and identify where time is lost and where it is possible to be more efficient”, stated João Paulo de Freitas.

Although existing technology today helps producers, the panelists highlighted that it is necessary to make correct use of available resources and pay attention to equipment adjustments and maintenance.

“The most important thing is to build a team. We can buy the machine we want and quality seeds, but we need a qualified team to do the sowing well”, highlighted consultant Marcos Leal.

The panel on quality in crop installation was moderated by Embrapa Soja researcher Fernando Henning.

Soy Congress

The IX Brazilian Soy and Mercosoja Congress ends this Thursday, the 19th. The events began on Monday, the 16th, at the Rafain Palace Hotel & Convention Center, in Foz do Iguaçu (PR). With the theme “The challenges for sustainable production in Mercosur”, the congress promoted by Embrapa Soja featured six conferences and 18 panels, totaling 50 lectures. 287 technical works were also presented in poster format or orally.

The Soy Innovation Arena provided an exchange of experiences and information between members of the innovation ecosystem linked to the soy production chain. There was also an exhibitor fair, in which 35 companies presented the most recent technologies developed for soybean farming.