Champion of the Cup of Excellence Brazil 2022 bets on phytosanitary treatment and nutrition and physiology technologies in the coffee plantation

It was with great satisfaction that the Rigno family celebrated the fourth championship achieved with the result of winner of the Cup of Excellence Brazil 2022, the main coffee quality competition in the world, whose winners were announced at the end of October, especially due to the fact that they competed and won first place with a traditional coffee (Catuaí) that competed with exotic varieties (Geisha and others).

Gilmar Martins do Nascimento, agronomist at AGRIPEC - Consultoria e Projetos Rurais, who has been serving the producer for 22 years, remembers that, when he began monitoring his family's Arabica coffee production, he came across a field with coffee grown in an archaic way. , not well conducted, and, to reach the current quality, a gradual process was implemented over the years, backed by investments in nutrition and plant physiology technologies, as well as phytosanitary treatment and, until, as a consequence of all this work, the family coffee was recognized as the best coffee drink in Brazil in 2009, 2014, 2015 and now, in 2022.

Nascimento, who works alongside colleagues José Domingos Alves Sampaio and Tiago Ramos do Nascimento in the consultancy, reveals the secret of success, which means the coffee is now exported to buyers in countries such as Japan, Korea, USA, England, Australia and Germany. “We begin cultural treatments in mid-September, when the agricultural year for Arabica coffee begins. Due to the physical damage caused to the plant during the harvest season, we applied Kellus Cooper. Subsequently, we sprayed with macro and micronutrients and soil treatments, such as Polyblen and Profol, in addition to the anti-stress agent Concorde, all from ICL. These technologies are part of the Supera Nutritional Program, with small adjustments to our reality, which has brought us great results”, he celebrates.

Special drink

Antônio Rigno de Oliveira Filho does not work with a corporate coffee industry, but rather with a coffee industry based on the production of coffee with a special drink, as Nascimento recalls. Productivity is important - the farm produces around 40 bags of coffee per hectare - but the main focus is to achieve a drink of a special quality that is superior to what is available on the market. “Our terroir is differentiated and unique. We work with a score above 90 and our coffee has the characteristic rapadura molasses that is typical of the region, which has caught the attention of the international jury”, he highlights.

According to the agronomist, without irrigation, investment in plant physiology to minimize dry spells caused by drought is essential, as is controlled-release nutrition, which really delivers what it promises. “Polyblen’s technology is very favorable because, as we do not have irrigated coffee, but rather wet coffee, the controlled release of nutrients to the plants becomes essential for their good nutrition. When the rain arrives, the release is more effective for the plant, and, associated with the application of foliar sprays, we achieve great results”, he says.

Transforming a café into a champion

When speaking, with pride, about the award, Nascimento remembers that nothing falls from the sky easily and the producer has to have confidence in his technical team, to believe. “Turning a café into a champion is a lot of work. Investing mainly in nutrition and physiology with a good phytosanitary control program makes all the difference”, he warns.

Coffee expert club

Tijuco's achievement was recently taken to the Coffee Experts Club, an ICL club that brings together producers, consultants and other members of the country's coffee chain, who increasingly seek to produce more and better. “We were at the last meeting, in Patrocínio (MG). It was very good, we exchanged different experiences. A club like this was a great initiative by ICL and of fundamental importance, because through it we can discuss face to face with other consultants. We are passionate about coffee. We sleep and wake up thinking about culture and we know that we always have something to improve, which is why we are always looking for more information and exchanges of experiences with new technologies, which is what we find at the club”, declares Nascimento.

“We want to be increasingly closer to the coffee grower through the Coffe Experts Club and with our Supera Nutritional Program, whose main objective is to deliver the best technologies and solutions in nutrition and plant physiology, thus contributing to ensuring that crops are always well nourished and prepared to overcome stress and express their genetic potential. This is possible because we count on the support of agronomic consultants and a team of highly trained professionals, through scheduled visits, and by offering a complete portfolio, which includes high-efficiency soil fertilizers, seed treatments, foliar fertilizers , physiological action products and adjuvants”, explains José Leite, Market Development manager at ICL, who also celebrated fifth place in the Cup of Excellence with producer Pedro Brás, from Casa Brás, Vargem Bonita (MG), with a score of 90,41 in the Geisha variety.

Innovation

ICL has a broad technology development structure, striving to prove in its innovation centers, in Iracemápolis (SP) and Cruz alta (RS), accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), technologies that generate productivity and profitability in the field. According to MAPA's list of private research institutions, the company is the only one that operates exclusively in the area of ​​Plant Nutrition and Physiology to have research centers accredited by the ministry.

The company invests globally U＄64 million in research and development. In Brazil, it was R＄20 million in 2021, which solidifies its position as one of the most innovative and technological companies in the sector. In the last five years, it has launched 21 products, has a series of patent applications filed and has made a significant contribution to the generation of technologies that add to agricultural production from North to South of Brazil, focusing on the best use of nutrients for tropical agriculture combined with to sustainability.

ICL was recognized once again as one of the 150 most innovative companies in the country in the Valor Inovação Brasil 2022 Award, being among the Top 5 in the agribusiness category for the second consecutive time, in its second year of participation.

Cup of Excellence Brazil

Cup of Excellence is the world's leading coffee quality competition. A Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) has been holding this competition since 2000 and today it has the support of the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the "Alliance for Coffee Excellence" (ACE). This competition is open to all Brazilian Arabica coffee producers, being one of the actions of the International Marketing Plan for the Promotion of Brazilian Specialty Coffees proposed by the association.

The Cup of Excellence competition was initiated by a group of in-depth coffee connoisseurs along with the support of government entities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with the aim of rewarding producers for their efforts and work.