Corn producers managed to face the effects of drought in RS

The corn harvest in Rio Grande do Sul has already started and so has the accounting of losses. Crops suffer from drought, so significant losses in both productivity and grain quality are expected.

Contrary to this reality, rural producer Breno Salbego celebrates the corn plantation with trees two meters high and soybeans in full development. The success on the 150-hectare property, in Nova Esperança do Sul, central region of the state, which in winter is also used to grow oats and pasture for cattle, is linked to soil management. For four years, the farmer has been using granulated calcium sulfate to care for the land.

 According to the producer, since he started working with SulfaCal calcium sulfate, improvements are evident in decompression and rooting. “The difference in rooting is that the plant can have a much greater root depth. During this drought, we see a difference in the plant where SulfaCal was used, due to the deepening of the roots and the vigor of the plant. We had a lot of water stress, we couldn't believe it, but even the leaves closest to the roots turned green. This is happening with corn and soybeans”, emphasizes Salbego, who is also enthusiastic about the decompression of the soil. “The product helps a lot in pasture areas. Compaction caused by cattle is a problem for those who work with livestock here in the region. But when I add the product, it seems to give an injection that reinvigorates the winter pasture and leaves the land ready for soybeans”, celebrates the producer.

Free, uncompacted soil means more space for roots to develop. Consequently, the greater the contact between the roots and the soil, the better the conditions for the plant to absorb the producer's investment in nutrition.

The agronomist at SulGesso, a reference company in the production of mineral fertilizers, Marlun Junges, explains that calcium sulfate acts in the deeper layers of the soil, increasing the plant's nutrition from the roots. "Calcium sulfate is essential for soil balance, providing calcium and sulfur from the roots to the aerial part of the plant. In SulfaCal granulated fertilizer, it is concentrated and is more soluble than limestone, which means a better cost- benefit", highlights the specialist from the Santa Catarina company, leader in the supply of calcium sulfate in southern Brazil.

 The expert also explains that fertilizers, in general, have acidification potential, with the acidity of the soil limiting the development of vegetables and productivity. The SulfaCal product has a zero acidification index in its formula.

On the Breno Salbego property, the application of 250 kg/hectare of calcium sulfate broadcast occurs at the end of the pasture period, between the months of August and September. The result is a considerable reduction in soil wear, with a consequent boost in productivity. The rural producer guarantees that he is very satisfied with the result. “I was one of the first in the region to use SulfaCal and, based on the results we have, I intend to continue. The difference is significant compared to other crops,” he adds.