Pelotas (RS) once again hosts the Opening of the Rice Harvest

A Official Opening of the Rice Harvest returns to Pelotas as its headquarters to welcome the more than seven thousand visitors registered in last year's edition. The event, which is in its 30th year, in a partnership between Embrapa and Federarroz, is structured as a technology fair with field demonstrations, service stands, machines and equipment for the rice farming sector, technical and public policy lectures, launches of products, exchange of knowledge, closing of technical agreements and contracts, business, advances in knowledge and regional development.

The fair opens its doors on the 12th and runs until the 14th of February. The event is open to the public, welcoming visitors from the agricultural sector and in general. The event takes place at Embrapa's Terras Baixas Experimental Station, in Capão do Leão/RS. 40 caravans of producers coming from numerous areas of the State are confirmed.

The attraction of the event always falls on the demonstrative farming - the technological showcases - which will be presenting technologies from Embrapa and more than 20 agricultural partners, in addition to the Company's launches. The main plots that will be harvested at the Official Opening are the cultivars BRS Pampa CL, from Embrapa, and BRS IRGA 431 CL, from IRGA. The Official Opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on 14/02, at 14pm, with the presence of the Governor of the State of RS and public and political authorities.

Launch of Embrapa technologies

On the first day of the event, 12/02, at 15:40 pm, inside the Technical Forum space, in the Estação Terras Baixas auditorium, Embrapa launches the PlanejArroz app and presents the future cultivar BRS A705 researchers Silvio Steinmetz and Ariano Martins de Magalhães, respectively.

The application is a result of the partnership between Embrapa, UFSM and INMET, presented in two modules. The first module of the application estimates the development stages of recommended crops. The second module uses the SimulArroz model to estimate grain productivity.

The future cultivar of irrigated rice BRS A705 will be presented to visitors and can be seen in the technology showcases. It is an evolution of the BRS Pampa, offering flexibility in handling. Its strong characteristic is resistance to lodging, combined with high productivity and grain quality. Experimental tests have shown that it can reach a mark of more than 10 tons/ha. 

Use of pivots in rice crops

The use of pivot sprinkler irrigation in rice farming will also be one of the highlights of the event this year.

According to the coordinator of Embrapa's technological showcases, researcher Giovani Theisen, the use of sprinkling is already adopted by many rice producers, but emphasis will be placed on the various benefits provided by the technology. "In rice crops, the use of sprinkler irrigation brings savings of between 25% and 50% of water volume compared to traditional irrigation. Another condition is that rainfall has been scarce in recent years to provide irrigation for soybean crops. , for example, and the use of pivots, also guarantees the irrigation of rainfed crops", says Theisen.

Other positive points raised by the researcher are the possibility of the saved water being used in other crops and the pivot can be used in coxilha areas, including sprinkler irrigation in other crops, such as corn.

Cultivars in the Technological Showcases

Visitors will be able to discover cultivars planted in living showcases. There, technicians, producers and professionals linked to rice cultivation, especially, will be able to have technical data, demonstration of the plants themselves and their development, information from seed suppliers and other curiosities about rice cultivars. irrigated rice BRS Pampa CL, BRS Pampeira, BRS A705 and BRS A701 CL. 

Animals grazing for the first time

For the first time, during the period of visiting the experimental crops - a partner company of Harvest Opening - will have animals grazing to demonstrate the importance of livestock in crop rotation and how much this practice contributes to the sustainability of the business, adjusting the needs of each agricultural and/or livestock management. All grazing animals will be beef to demonstrate the productivity of the herd, through the supply of lowland grains.

Soy will be highlighted in lectures

Another possibility that the Official Opening of the Rice Harvest has provided visitors is to learn about technologies to intensify sustainability. The choice of crop rotation is one of them, through soybeans. In this edition, the public will be able to participate in lectures that will give important tips on crop management, identification and treatment of pests, inoculation and the integration of soy into the crop-livestock system. All these lectures will be presented at Embrapa's institutional stand.

Scheduled technical lectures

During the event period, Embrapa will offer all interested parties participation in technical lectures, at its institutional stand, located in the exhibition area, which will take place between 11 am and 16:30 pm. The chosen themes will address innovations to be applied in the management of rice, soybean, corn and lowland crops. There will be eight lectures, taking place on the 12th and 13/02. Follow the schedule here.

ILP showcase

In 2019, Embrapa innovated with the presentation of an area intended for diversification into rice farming. For the second time at the Harvest Opening, experimental crops will be demonstrated with the implementation of ILP in lowlands, where researchers and technicians will guide management and disseminate technical data on summer pastures. In this edition, the public will be able to see the performance of perennial pastures: the elephant grasses BRS Capiaçu (for silage) and BRS Kurumi (for grazing); the BRS Zuri, BRS Kenia and BRS Tamani panicuns (for grazing); and the BRS Ibiporã brachiaria. The annual pasture that will be presented is BRS Estribo sudan grass.

Pá do Arroz Award

On the evening of 13/02, Federarroz makes a distinction to personalities who stood out in rice farming during the 2019/2020 harvest. They are producers, technicians and representatives of entities, who will receive a tribute with the “Pá do Arroz” presented at the event annually. They are all rice farmers who work on solutions for the sector. In category Federal Technician, The person chosen in this edition, representing Embrapa, is researcher André Andres. He is the current coordinator of the Terras Baixas Experimental Station, the physical base of the research unit, located in Capão do Leão, which is dedicated to research into lowland rice and grains, and has training and experience in the area of ​​Agronomy, with an emphasis on Weed Management.

Institutional Stand and Technology Catalog

The Company will be installed as in the previous edition, very close to the fair's visiting public, just after the visitation trail to the technological showcases and the ILP showcases. It will be the first stand on the street of exhibitors at Harvest Opening.

In this space, personalized services will be provided by technicians and researchers to the public, tasting of future products resulting from rice farming research, signing of agreements and technical agreements between partners, delivery of technical material, meetings with authorities and the holding of eight mini-technical lectures. auditorium.

Among the materials to be displayed at the stand will be the Technology Catalog. It is a portfolio with the 20 main technologies presented by Embrapa during the 30th edition of the Rice Harvest Opening. In this material, technical data of the rice cultivars on display in the fields, the cell phone application to be launched, and also options for irrigation technologies for rice crops, strategies for biological fixation, recommendations for choosing seeds, were gathered. alternatives for soil systematization, soil management and fertility, strategies for pest management in rice, use of an integrated rice system, soybean management techniques and forage planning for properties.

A 30th Opening of the Rice Harvest is carried out by Federarroz and Embrapa, with the support of IRGA and BASF and the participation of the companies John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, LindSay, Senar/RS, Sicredi, Banco do Brasil, Banrisul, 3 Tentos Agroindustrial, Tecon and Badesul.