Early broccoli can help producers save on inputs and labor

In 2021, the increase in the prices of inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, were some of the main reasons for the increase in agricultural production costs in Brazil. For broccoli producers, an alternative is to use early materials, with an average cycle of 60 to 70 days.

The main producing regions today are Serra Gaúcha, Grande Curitiba, the Cinturão Verde de Santa Catarina, the South of Minas and São Paulo, but it is suitable for being planted in almost the entire Brazilian territory, as it carries with it excellent stability and high rusticity of the cultivar, which allows planting under different soils and climate conditions.

According to the Crops Coordinator at TSV Sementes, Osvânder David, the compact architecture of materials such as the Master cultivar provides the producer with advantages in terms of nutritional and health management of the crop. “The Master cultivar has well-defined florets, medium particle size, high yield, weight, good tolerance to foliar diseases, offering good commercial use of the crop even when planted under adverse climate conditions. The hybrid is also tolerant to several physiological defects that affect the species such as hollow stem, side shoots and leaves on the head.”

For the Purchasing manager of the company Foga e Furquim, from Cambuí (MG), Cleiton José Bueno, Master broccoli came to change the culture scenario, especially in the summer. “Precociousness is a great advantage of Master over other varieties, as it makes it difficult for pests to attack and brings a significant reduction in fertilization, irrigation, diesel oil consumption and the need for labor, in addition to the option of another cycle in the year , instead of three, we managed to do four”, he details.

The buyer highlights qualities such as the well-rounded head formation and its suitability for feathering. “It sits well on the tray and has excellent acceptance in the markets of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and some cities in the Northeast where we ship,” adds Bueno. 

The broccoli producer from Congonhal (MG), Gilberto Ferreira de Araújo, shares the same opinion. “With the rise in fertilizer and diesel oil prices, you can eliminate 20 days or even more of harvest. It is a material that I am recommending to all my friends and partners, due to its robustness, weight, with an average of 450 grams, which is the standard for those who work with trays, and the possibility of planting all year round. As a producer and consumer, I think it is one of the best materials on the market today.”

The technical sales consultant of the regional distributor Agropecuária Parada do Colono, Antonio Rothman, cites the production of Master broccoli in Içara (SC), which went through several climatic interferences, interspersed during the cycle with periods of extreme cold and dryness last winter and , even so, the results were positive when compared to its main competitor.

“Even though the climate was favorable to the other material, Master stood out in terms of quality and precocity, with good head formation, uniform head, perfect plant and few symptoms of bacterial spots”, details Rothman.

 “The producer needs a material in which he can have confidence in investing his money, knowing that he will be able to plant, harvest and sell in order to have his income. And Master broccoli came to contribute to the South of Minas region as a tool that resolved several issues that producers had been suffering from”, comments Agifértil's technical consultant, Sivaldir da Silva Santos, partner of TSV Sementes in South of Minas, Capital and region of Mogi das Cruzes.