Brazilian coffee exports have record revenue of US$9,2 billion in 2022
With the shipment of 39,350 million bags abroad, the average price was US$234,64 per bag
Every year, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo carries out a survey and analysis of corn cultivars launched on the market each harvest. For the 2022/2023 harvest, the study was repeated, showing that corn cultivation currently requires a continued dynamic of genetic improvement, and requires revisions for the different production systems developed for each purpose and cultivation region in Brazil.
The analysis was carried out by researchers Emerson Borghi and Israel Alexandre Pereira Filho. They report that the analytical and systematic survey of cultivars puts the producer in contact with new and available corn hybrids.
“These cultivars support high levels of technology, with a predominance of transgenic cultivars and some hybrids with tolerance to water deficit. Some early studies report possible cold tolerance of corn plants. These seeds provide a broad spectrum of resistance to pests in the aerial part and root system and to the molecules of the herbicides glyphosate and ammonium glyphosinate”, explain the researchers.
According to them, new transgenic events are launched every year in Brazil, demonstrating that companies are seeking solutions such as resistance to the main caterpillars that attack corn crops, cultivars with tolerance to water deficit and tolerance to diseases, thus aiming to provide higher rates of productivity for farmers.
“The survey of new cultivars for the 2022/2023 harvest revealed information similar to previous surveys, that is, cultivars more adapted to regional conditions and aimed at the consumer market with different options for use. Early cycle cultivars continue to be the most demanded by the market, both for summer cultivation and for autumn or off-season cultivation”, describe Borghi and Pereira.
They assess that “relevant information for the consumer market, such as grain color and texture, adjustments to the plant stand and the technological level of the seeds, among others, are increasingly evident and are taken into consideration for the correct positioning of cultivars, depending on the characteristics of the producing regions and the market opportunities that are emerging”.
For researchers, it is clear that companies take factors beyond agronomic characteristics into consideration when making their portfolio of new cultivars available to producers. “Reactions on the main diseases that attack the crop, the expansion of the corn cultivated area, especially in the second harvest, and market issues, especially those aimed at potential commercial partners, are relevant information for the positioning of materials that may present , at the same time, the demands of the market and those of buyers. We can cite as an example the color and density of the grains, which are important for the animal food industry”, they explain.
“For both the market and the producer, the survey of cultivars must be based on agronomic characteristics and the relationship between cultivars and the main diseases”, conclude Borghi and Pereira.
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
Receive the latest agriculture news by email