II Wheat Technical Seminar discussed the São Paulo and national scenario for the grain

São Paulo, the largest wheat consumer market in the country, each harvest shows its potential, in genetics, production, milling, as well as in the industrialization of the grain. In recent years, the introduction of new technologies, especially with the industrial quality demanded by mills, has favored an increase in sown area and production. According to data from Conab, between 2018 and 2019, the area sown with wheat increased by 75%, representing a 100% increase in production. The São Paulo Wheat Sector Chamber's estimate is that the state has the potential to further triple production , reaching 500 thousand tons more than the 233,1 thousand tons in 2019.

Within this scenario, the second edition of the São Paulo Wheat Technical Seminar took place last Tuesday (19). Promoted by Biotrigo Genética and supported by the seeding and milling industries and the main cereal growers in the state, the event brought together around 150 people including seed producers, multipliers, cereal growers, technicians, mills and wheat growers in the state. The event was held in Itapeva (SP), a city located in the southwest of São Paulo that is the largest producer of the cereal in the state, with 65% of the São Paulo area cultivated. Among the topics, the seminar covered aspects related to research, industrial quality and the scenario of technologies available in the region in three panels.

The opening lecture presented the dynamics of Biotrigo's genetic improvement programs, from the definition of crosses, the conduct of yield trials to the decision to launch the cultivars. According to André Schönhofen, PhD in genetic improvement, the development of cultivars begins with the planning of crosses, when analyzes of the characteristics of each existing genotype are carried out and a new wheat is anticipated based on the combination of positive attributes. “The breeding program also involves disease resistance assessments and tests on thousands of materials in the field and in controlled environments, in addition to demonstration plots in partnership with multipliers in São Paulo. Subsequently, the materials undergo industrial quality analyzes both within Biotrigo's quality laboratory and in mills in São Paulo and other states. These steps facilitate selection in favor of greater health and robustness specific to the region, contributing to grain yield stability and industrial quality,” he explained.

Biotrigo has four breeding programs distributed across South America, totaling more than 65 research areas aimed at understanding the different realities of each wheat-growing region.

Wheat for baking

Genetic advancement in wheat for baking was the topic of the talk by Biotrigo's Industrial Quality supervisor, Kênia Meneguzzi. She compared the most recent wheat cultivars to the previous ones according to Normative Instruction No. 38/2010 of the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA), which classifies wheat as improver, bread, domestic, basic and for other uses. “The legislation brought new quality parameters that until then were secondary. The cultivars had lower W, for example, and their performances did not match what the consumer and the industry expected. With the regulations, improvement continued its work towards industrial quality in accordance with the normative classification, without leaving aside the constant search for more productivity and safety. Regarding safety, the focus is especially on resistance to diseases that are difficult to control and germination on the cob, which can directly affect the commercialization of lots,” she reported. Kênia also explained the importance of care in post-harvest processes, such as drying and storage, which can affect the technological quality of the flour.

Final assessment made by the industry

With almost 20 mills in São Paulo, communication between research, industry and the production chain is also an advance that has been helping to increase grain production in the state. According to Kênia, one of the actions of Biotrigo's improvement program that has reflected in the market's growth is the industry's acceptance of national wheats. “The new materials are approved only after baking tests in the experimental bakery and rheology tests carried out in the Biotrigo laboratory. Even so, the samples are sent to the mills for final measurement, which guarantees, in a certain way, greater liquidity for the producer,” she said. Subsequently and according to the feedback from the mills, each multiplier will receive the information to promote the production of the cultivar most demanded by the industry in their region. “São Paulo seeks, for example, whitening and improving wheats with good baking performance. Therefore, if the entire chain is connected with this information, the mill will have access to the raw material it wants and the producer will have greater security for sales”, she added.

High gluten strength

Deodato Matias Junior, commercial supervisor at Biotrigo, presented some examples of materials that São Paulo producers will have access to in the next harvests. TBIO Astro is a cultivar that meets several important requirements for the São Paulo market. “Firstly, because it is an improving wheat with high gluten strength, a requirement valued in the industry for use in blends with wheats with lower gluten strength. It is at the top of our industrial quality ranking, with average values ​​of 550 J,” he explained. Considering the agronomic characteristics, Deodato highlighted why the material is the current record holder in the company's breeding program. “It is a super early cycle cultivar and agronomically it is the most resistant to germination on the cob and lodging. In the state of São Paulo, the cultivar will be available to seed multipliers in 2020.”

Technology to open sowing

With a longer vegetative cycle, the TBIO Ponteiro cultivar has an important position in the region. According to Deodato, the late cycle facilitates the scheduling of sowing and harvesting, minimizing the risk of frost. “By covering the soil for longer, it is possible to better control invasive plants, preserve moisture and reduce the risk of facing frost during sprouting. In relation to diseases, such as powdery mildew and blast, common in the first sowings, which have a higher level of resistance, in addition to presenting excellent productivity”. TBIO Ponteiro serves the bakery market and is approved by São Paulo mills. The cultivar is already on sale this season.

For weed control

Concluding the presentation of the technologies, Deodato spoke about the launch of the first wheat with Clearfield technology in Brazil, present in the TBIO Capricho CL cultivar, a partnership between Biotrigo and the German company, BASF. “This cultivar is tolerant to the post-emergent herbicide Raptor 70DG, from the imidazolinone chemical group, which facilitates the control of weeds such as ryegrass and oats.” The Clearfield system reaches wheat after 15 years of use in rice cultivation. “The objective of bringing this technology is to provide conditions for the wheat farmer to effectively control weeds, one of the great challenges of wheat cultivation”, he concluded. The TBIO Capricho cultivar is recommended for higher altitude regions in the state.

São Paulo harvest 2019

According to data from Conab, in São Paulo, the sown area and average productivity increased in 2019 compared to the 2018 harvest, favoring the harvested volume. There were 77,4 thousand hectares sown with the crop, an increase of 6,7% compared to 2018. As for average yield, the increase was 12,8%, reaching 3.024 kg/ha and for production an increase of 20,2 .234,1%, reaching XNUMX thousand tons.