Agricultural zoning of corn 2nd harvest and consortium with brachiaria for 2022/2023 are published

The following were published in the Official Gazette of the Union Ordinances 330 to 356 that approve the Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc), crop year 2022/2023, for the cultivation of second-harvest corn and for the intercropping of second-harvest corn with brachiaria.

The corn (Zea Mays L) is cultivated in succession as a summer crop in many regions of Brazil. This production system made it possible to sustain second-crop corn production at record levels and with surprising sustainability.

Corn intercropped with brachiaria grown in succession to some summer crop, associated with the direct planting system, is one of the options that presents the greatest benefits, such as greater recycling of nutrients, accumulation of straw on the surface, improvement of the physical part of the soil, through joint action of root systems and the incorporation and accumulation of organic matter, in addition to being more sustainable.

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 temperature, rainfall, relative air humidity, occurrence of frost, water available in the soil, water demand of crops and geographic elements (altitude, latitude and longitude).

Farmers who follow Zarc's recommendations are less subject to climate risks and can 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.

Right Planting App

Rural producers and agribusiness agents can access official information from Zarc via tablets and smartphones, in a more practical way, facilitating guidance on the Federal Government's agricultural policy programs. The Zarc Plantio Certo mobile app, developed by Embrapa Agricultura Dígital (Campinas/SP), is available in app stores: iOS e Android. 

The Zarc results can also be consulted and downloaded through the platform “Risk Indication Panel”.