New grain sorghum exceeds six tons per hectare

Embrapa Milho e Sorgo (MG) and Latina Seeds are launching the BRS 3002 grain sorghum hybrid on the market, under the trade name LAS3004G. This new cultivar stands out for its precocity and stability for planting in the second harvest, which guarantees greater safety for the producer. In addition, it has a productivity potential of more than six tons per hectare, higher than the national average production per hectare.

The new sorghum is recommended for regions that are already consolidated in the cultivation of this crop, such as the Central West (Federal District, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul), Northeast (Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí) and Southeast (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo). 

Launch

Sorghum BRS 3002, commercial name LAS3004G, will be launched on May 5, 2025, at 13:30 p.m., during the 16th Technological Integration Week (SIT). The event is part of the Journey for Climate, an Embrapa initiative that aims to promote science and sustainable practices in the year in which Brazil hosts the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP30), in November, in Belém (PA).

With the theme “Opportunities and challenges for the expansion of sustainable agriculture”, SIT takes place from May 5 to 9 in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, and brings together entities with the aim of promoting sustainable rural development. 

“In addition to its yield level, which ensures its competitiveness in the market, BRS 3002 (LAS3004G) is highly resistant to anthracnose, helminthosporium and cercosporium disease,” says researcher Cícero Menezes. Using more resistant cultivars is the most efficient way to control diseases, since it combines advantages, such as being economical and selective, and not leaving residues that are harmful to the environment or the product. In this way, it contributes to the sustainability of production. 

Menezes also highlights the average height of the plant, which is 130 centimeters, and the red color of the grains. 

commercial production

Embrapa and Latina Seeds are already partners in several areas of activity focused on developing new products for the agricultural market. The launch of the new sorghum cultivar is yet another result in this regard. According to Willian Sawa, co-owner of Latina Seeds, “the grain sorghum hybrid aims to meet the needs of a market that seeks stability and safety in its production. Sorghum itself is already resilient in the face of adverse weather conditions and pests, but this hybrid, in particular, has characteristics that producers seek in terms of precocity and production stability,” he emphasizes.

Sawa states that grain sorghum has traditionally been used by the feed industry, but with this new cultivar, a new front has opened up with the use of sorghum grain for the production of ethanol and DDG (Dried Distillers Grains) and WDG (Wet Distillers Grains), which are by-products of the production of this biofuel, obtained from the fermentation of grains. “This new niche is gaining strength in regions where corn has a limited planting window, such as in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Maranhão, Piauí, Tocantins, Bahia, Alagoas and Sergipe. Considering the precocity and stability of BRS 3002 (LAS3004G), the expectation is that it will have good acceptance”, he adds.

Sawa also reports that pre-commercial areas of this hybrid were established from Rio Grande do Sul to Maranhão and from Rondônia to Alagoas, and the results prove its broad adaptability and stability.

“BRS3002 (LAS3004G) will be sold in packages of 500 seeds. The recommended amount per hectare is 200 to 220 seeds, depending on the region, season and investment. In other words, one bag will be enough to plant 2,27 to 2,5 hectares,” explains Sawa. The seeds will reach the production sector after receiving an Industrial Seed Treatment (IST), a process that protects them before planting, including the antidote for the application of the herbicide S-Metalachlor. “This means that we will be offering the market materials with high-potential genetics, associated with the best technologies available on the market,” he says.

Latina Seeds producer and partner Darlan Niedermeyer, based in Palotina, Paraná, and who in addition to being a producer in the states of Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul, also works as a consultant in the region, reports on his experiences with BRS3002 (LAS3004G) in these last harvests. 

“What I liked most about the cultivar is its precocity and stability. It is an early-cycle material for our region, with 120 days to harvest. We were able to harvest a planted area in that time. We saw that it did not show any spots and withstood the drought in western Paraná and southern Mato Grosso do Sul well. The hybrid performed well in the first neighboring areas, enabling a harvest of 100 bags per hectare. This shows that it has potential and adaptability to different areas. As for health, it appears to be quite robust,” says Niedermeyer.

Consultant Paulo Ferreira, from Naviraí (MS), was amazed at the recovery of this sorghum after going through a period of abiotic stress. “It is a material that delivers its productive potential even in extreme situations and adapts well to the climate and type of soil we have. We went through intense heat and the material is beautiful and green. Even with the drought, it delivered over 50 bags per hectare,” says Ferreira.

Sorghum in Brazil and in the world

Sorghum is the fifth most widely planted cereal in the world, after corn, wheat, rice and barley. In recent years, the crop has been expanding in Brazil, placing the country among the five largest producers of the grain in the world. “This expansion in recent harvests, especially in the second crop, is mainly due to two factors: the market demand for bioethanol and feed, and the climatic instability of the second harvest. Sorghum is more tolerant to drought, and has a larger planting window in the second crop,” says Embrapa agronomist Frederico Botelho.

In recent harvests, the national area of ​​sorghum has increased considerably, going from 864,6 thousand hectares in the 2020/21 harvest to 1,46 million hectares in the 2023/24 harvest, with growth in already consolidated areas such as Goiás and Minas Gerais, and with an increase in new regions that are not very traditional for the crop, such as Matopiba, Mato Grosso do Sul, Distrito Federal, and Paraná. 

Sorghum has several uses, being most used in Brazil for animal feed, being able to replace corn 100% in poultry, pig and cattle feed, but its use has also expanded in human food, in the generation of bioenergy and biofuel.

Launch and Climate Journey: towards COP30

The new grain sorghum hybrid is a technology that boosts quality grain production in regions with water restrictions, which is an important characteristic of sorghum cultivation. In addition, its resistance to major diseases contributes to the sustainability of agricultural production.

Therefore, the launch of the cultivar takes place during the 16th Technological Integration Week (SIT), an event that is part of Embrapa's official calendar of actions in the Climate Journey of the 30th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 30). 

Technological Integration Week is organized by Embrapa Corn and Sorghum, in partnership with the Faemg System (Faemg, Senar, Inaes and Trade Unions), the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Minas Gerais (Emater-MG), the Agricultural Research Corporation of Minas Gerais (Epamig) and the Federal University of São João del Rei (UFSJ). The event is supported by Embrapa units in other regions of Brazil, private companies, cooperatives and foundations.

SIT is a great opportunity to update knowledge, exchange experiences, establish negotiations and partnerships.

The head of Technology Transfer at Embrapa Corn and Sorghum, Sara Rios, highlights that the sorghum hybrid BRS 3002 brings a great competitive advantage as a Brazilian genetics with wide adaptation (Southeast, Central-West and Northeast), in addition to the precocity of the cultivar, which is very relevant for the short cultivation windows in the second harvest, considering the specificities, challenges and also opportunities in the Brazilian grain production system.

The hybrid was developed in an open innovation partnership with Latina Seeds, enabling the commercial availability of a new cultivar for grain sorghum producers, with productivity gains. “The launch at SIT is part of a strategic program for Brazil and the world, with visibility as a pre-COP30 event in the Climate Journey, in addition to a technical program on May 8, dedicated to sorghum cultivation, with the theme “Opportunities for sorghum production in Brazil: food, nutrition and energy in the new national production matrix”. 

Where to find new grain sorghum

The new sorghum cultivar BRS 3002 (LAS3004G) can be purchased from Latina Seeds, via WhatsApp (34) 99189 0001 or on the Latina Seeds website (https://www.latinaseeds.com.br/).