Epagri launches black bean variety

On February 19, in Pinhalzinho, in the western part of Santa Catarina, Epagri will launch a new cultivar of black beans: SCS208 Cronos. The new product will hit the market with characteristics that can bring great benefits to rural producers, especially in terms of productivity, adaptation to different environments and resistance to diseases. The event will be held at 9 am, at the Company's stand, at the Itaipu Rural Show.

Innovation in the field

The new bean variety was developed at Epagri’s Family Farming Research Center (Cepaf), located in Chapecó, with the aim of meeting the growing demand for more productive and resistant cultivars. According to Epagri/Cepaf researcher Sydney Kavalco, SCS208 Cronos stands out for its greater productive potential and high production stability, essential factors for ensuring a high-performance crop, even in the face of climate variations. “Another important advantage is its tolerance to anthracnose, one of the most common diseases affecting beans,” he reveals.

With violet flowers and a semi-erect shape, the Cronos variety was developed to be adapted to mechanized harvesting, which facilitates large-scale production. Its cultivation cycle is agile, with emergence to flowering occurring in 38 days, and physiological maturity in around 85 days.

promising results

In the Cultivation and Use Value (VCU) trials conducted by Epagri, the SCS208 Cronos presented an average grain yield of over 120% in productivity compared to other varieties cultivated in SC. “With a production potential of 5,3 thousand kilos per hectare, it stands out especially in favorable cultivation conditions. In the harvest trials conducted in Santa Catarina, the average yield was 4 thousand kilos per hectare, and, in the second crop, it exceeded 2,5 thousand kilos per hectare, demonstrating the adaptability of the cultivar to different harvests”, explains the researcher.

According to Kavalco, the name Cronos was chosen in reference to the Greek god of time, symbolizing the evolution and overcoming of other cultivars over the years. Its development, which began in 2001, involved continuous and rigorous research until its final approval in 2023, being successfully tested in state trials, always among the most promising.

Genetic research and improvement

Epagri's work in the genetic improvement of beans is supported by an active germplasm bank, cross-breeding blocks, management of segregating populations and lineage trials in Chapecó and VCU trials carried out at the Company's experimental stations in Campos Novos, Canoinhas, Ituporanga and Urussanga. The research focuses on selecting promising lineages, obtaining new cultivars and evaluating them in different climate conditions in the state.

The multiplication of seeds of the Cronos cultivar is underway and will be made available to the public starting with the next harvest. The Cravil cooperative, located in Rio do Sul, is the only partner agreed to multiply the seeds, after winning the open bidding process for this purpose.

Other Epagri bean cultivars

In addition to SCS208 Cronos, Epagri has developed other bean cultivars, such as SCS204 Predileto, SCS205 Riqueza, SCS206 Potência and SCS207 Querência, all with zoning and cultivation indication for Santa Catarina. The seeds of these varieties can also be purchased from Cravil and Cooperalfa, in Chapecó.

According to Epagri's president, Dirceu Leite, with the launch of the SCS208 Cronos, the Company reaffirms its commitment to innovation and strengthening family farming in Santa Catarina, offering producers a new option to increase productivity and sustainability in the field.