Cotton producers increase productivity with control and good practices in aerial applications

One of the flagships of Brazilian agribusiness, cotton has elevated the country to the level of the world's main producer of the product in dry areas and is among the five largest exporters. The Central-West region has the largest producing area in the country and the 2021/2022 harvest has already started to be harvested in the states of Paraná and São Paulo. The estimate by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa) is that it will reach 2,82 million tons.

As it is a very sensitive crop, cotton requires extra attention when it comes to pest attacks, which explains why it is one of the crops that requires the most applications, reaching up to 20 applications throughout the cycle. Among the species that can cause the greatest damage to crops, the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is the one that causes the most losses in productivity and profitability, if it is not controlled at the right time.

Of the recommended management practices, aerial applications of pesticides are among the most used by producers. Efficient and safe, they bring savings, uniformity and greater product concentration to cotton crops and are decisive in controlling the boll weevil. “The technology for applying agricultural pesticides is a topic of utmost importance within the agricultural environment. The dissemination of information on good agricultural practices, in-house, makes the producer work with more environmental and occupational safety in crop protection activities and also greater efficiency in the control of pests, weeds and diseases”, assures the agronomist Giorge Gomes, PhD in application technology and member of Expertises Consultores Associados.

From an operational point of view, the assertiveness of spraying can be decisive in final productivity, as explained by Antonio Loures S. Jr., consultant in aerial application technology - a set of practices that has gained significant importance at all times of the cycle. “Whether it is a scheduled or emergency application, it is essential to comply with determinations such as the use of appropriate inputs, the correct maintenance of all the material to be used and the observance of the appropriate moment for the application. And just as important as all of this is the precise calibration of each piece of equipment, after all, the boll weevil needs to be controlled quickly and effectively to obtain good results in the crop and avoid financial losses”, warns Loures.

A system for planning and monitoring aerial applications of agrochemicals, SprayPlan, has been achieving excellent performance in cotton crops and is also used in other crops such as soybeans and corn. The software, which quantifies and qualifies the operation, also plans and monitors the entire application process with maximum precision. “We deliver greater control, productivity and optimization in aerial applications of agricultural inputs, without waste of inputs caused by overdose, incorrect application rates or bandwidth. On the other hand, a lower application dosage commonly results in ineffective pest control”, explains Loures, one of the platform's developers and founding partner of Dominus Soli, an agricultural startup that has been operating in the planning segment for eight years. , evaluation and correction of aerial application of agrochemicals services. The expert highlights that the system increases the effectiveness of coverage of agrochemical products, going from rates below 75% to up to more than 90% of the treated area.

The SprayPlan system considers, in addition to monitoring, information from fine adjustments carried out on each piece of equipment. All variables are taken into account. “The calibration of each item is crucial for assertive operation, as are the weather conditions. For example, the appropriate adjustment of the spray tips and even the distribution of the drops that will be released on the crop, everything will be used to guarantee efficient biological control. Identifying the characteristics of the target and applying the exact dosage makes a difference”, adds Loures.

Giorge Gomes recalls that in the increasingly dynamic agricultural world, on-board electronics and digitalization have evolved to improve management on properties. “Today it is possible to discover flaws in the farming process and Agriculture 5.0 seeks to recalculate this route in time. Platforms like SprayPlan can help us with this continuous improvement, when we talk about aerial application, going far beyond generating reports, as we often don't even have time to evaluate the data.” According to Gomes, “a platform that gives us direction in a clear and objective way is always welcome”.