RiceTec's XP117 hybrid stands out in high production performance in the 2020/21 harvest

The rice harvest for the 2020/21 season is practically over in Rio Grande do Sul and the results exceeded initial forecasts. The season ended with an average productivity of 9.010 kilos per hectare, which resulted in 8.523.429 tons harvested in the state, according to the Rio Grandense do Arroz Institute (IRGA). The favorable climate, with occasional droughts, and the application of new technologies were decisive for the success of the harvest. All this during the COVID-19 pandemic, which, among other things, has highlighted the fundamental role of agribusiness in the Brazilian economy and Brazil's role as a safe supplier of food to the world. Another determining factor is the technology applied to seeds, considered one of the most important inputs in agriculture – and with the highest added value. And it was by investing in a high-performance hybrid that rice producers achieved exceptional productivity that, in some cases, exceeded 14 thousand kilos per hectare.

One of these properties is located in Rio Grande, in the south of the state. “Our productivity was excellent, in an area of ​​548 hectares we harvested an average of 260,86 bags/ha, dry and clean. In some plots, this average rose to 292 bags/ha or close to 15 thousand kilos/ha. We work with seeds with great tillering capacity and premium grain quality, this is very important for the domestic and foreign markets as well”, reports Jorge de Barros Iglesias, agricultural director at Granjas 4 Irmãos, who used the XP117 hybrid, from RiceTec.

The harvest, which has just ended, was marked by the commercial launch of XP 117, a conventional hybrid with high productive potential and medium cycle (approximately 130 days), good grain quality, high initial vigor, tillering capacity and tolerant to lodging and main rice diseases. “Last harvest, we tested in an area and already identified a different result in the plot used. The quality was very good, a grain with no white belly, no gypsum, a low rate of defects and good cooking. There's a good market for it, so we started using it commercially. And in the next harvest we will further increase the area cultivated with this hybrid”, reveals Iglesias.

XP117 is the first of a new generation of hybrids that are being developed by the RiceTec research team, based in Santa Maria and Capão de Leão, in RS. According to RiceTec's research director, Edgar Torres, XP117 has been evaluated in the test network since the 2017/18 harvest with excellent results in terms of grain productivity and quality. “Our mission is to promote sustainability in food production through technologies present in rice seeds. In this sense, greater productivity allows us to obtain a greater quantity of rice in the same area and with the same quantity of inputs, thus contributing to the eco-efficiency of the crop”, highlights Torres.

RiceTec is one of the companies in the sector that invests the most in research and in the launch of new cultivars. Annually, more than R$8 million is invested for these purposes. On average, a hybrid seed, with commercial value, takes eight to twelve years to be developed and requires a large investment until it is completed. The results are seen in the rice fields. “The 1.820 hectares with XP 117 sold by RiceTec, in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, produced an average of 12.497kg/ha in the 2020/21 harvest. Six producers exceeded 14 thousand kilos per clean and dry hectare. The performance was excellent in the different regions of the state, which shows the productive potential of the new cultivar”, reveals Marlon Scursone, business coordinator in Brazil at RiceTec Sementes. “It was a cycle with poor rainfall distribution and some regions had difficulties due to little water, even so XP 117 demonstrated excellent performance and great production stability, despite the adverse conditions. This is very representative for a first commercial year.” The agronomist lists other advantages of the hybrid: “It has a good yield of whole grains, on average 62%, low plastered area, high amylose content and low gelatinization temperature, desirable characteristics for excellent cooking.”

The company's investments in research - and the subsequent launches of hybrids with cutting-edge technology on the market, with proven efficiency and positive results in their own crops - are welcomed by producers. “RiceTec’s research offers quality materials and productivity. In the case of XP117, the seed has hybrid vigor, can withstand high fertilization, does not thresh and tillers a lot. The plant has very good architecture, all it takes is rigorous and well-done management. By doing things at the right time and within agronomic techniques, you achieve this result”, adds the agricultural director of Granjas 4 Irmãos, Jorge Iglesias. “It is a material that, economically, gives a good return and is worth the investment, as the increase in productivity pays off. For the next harvest, the tendency is to increase the area with it.” The director of RiceTec celebrates the approval and success of the new hybrid and reveals that further research is advanced. “The conventional hybrid XP117 has already shown excellent potential and will very soon be available on the FullPage and Max-Ace platforms as well”, says Scursone.