Rains revive the spirit of producers in Rio Grande do Sul and soybeans continue to develop

With 99% of the area planned for the harvest of 5.978.967 hectares already implemented, soybean crops in Rio Grande do Sul are 56% in the vegetative development phase, 34% in flowering and 10% in grain filling. According to the Conjunctural Information, released by Emater/RS-Ascar this Thursday (16/01), in partnership with the State Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (Seapdr), in the Santa Rosa region, the physical conditions of the soil in terms of water retention have established different development conditions for plants. In part of the crops undergoing vegetative development, leaf wilting has been occurring; in those more advanced, there has been flower abortion in the first layers. In shallower soils, plant death occurs due to water deficit (reboleiras). In general, the development of soybean crops is still satisfactory, given the lack of humidity and high temperatures that have occurred in the last two weeks. Persistent weather conditions may result in productivity losses. The irregularity of rainfall will indicate the percentage of losses.

In the Ijuí Region, soybean cultivation was greatly affected by the drought, compromising the development of crops planted in October. Producers resumed fungicide applications preventively. There are records of attacks by mites and thrips. In Soledade, the weather conditions have not yet allowed the planting planned for the harvest to be completed, but the good news of the period was the volume of rain in the region (from 40 to 100 millimeters), partially alleviating the effects of drought, mainly in the Baixo Vale do Rio Pardo region, where there are records of seedling deaths in crops with late sowing. In general, crops in vegetative development that had reduced growth and development during the dry period showed recovery. There is a record of low incidence of pests, and control measures are not necessary.

In corn, despite the rains in the State, the accumulated rainfall does not reverse the water deficit in a large part of the crops, which has hampered the development of the crop. Fully implemented in RS, the corn crop is 20% in germination and vegetative development, 13% in flowering, 28% in grain filling, 26% mature and 13% of the 771 thousand hectares have already been harvested.

In the Administrative Region of Emater/RS-Ascar de Ijuí, which corresponds to 10% of the area cultivated with corn in the State, the crop is maturing in 50% of the crops, and granation in 30%. The productive potential varies greatly; several municipalities report losses exceeding 50% and in some in Corede Celeiro there are no losses. The corn harvest is advancing, reaching 17% of the area cultivated for grain production and 64% for silage. The crops harvested for silage yield 25 to 30 thousand kilos per hectare, well below the initial estimate. The green mass is dehydrated, with a consequent loss of quality. Areas in the Celeiro region have good productivity, and the harvest exceeds 35% of crops in some municipalities. With the improvement in soil moisture conditions, farmers are managing areas for the second planting of the crop.

In the Santa Rosa region, the largest corn producer in the state, with 15,4% of the area, the crop is 42% maturing, with the harvest advancing to 45% of the crops, with a slight reduction in yield, due to low humidity. soil in recent days and the occurrence of little rain, reaching crops in full flowering and initial grain formation. This situation can reduce the productivity of off-season corn and crops sown later, which are in the reproductive and grain filling stages, notably those that suffer most due to moisture restrictions.

In Lajeado, in the Taquari Valley, corn is grown both for grain production and for making silage. Of the 90 thousand hectares planned, 60% are intended for silage and 40% for grain production. This harvest, due to the lack of rain, corn crops have been cut for silage, initially intended for grain production. Losses vary depending on the planting season. Of the crops planted early, which represent 30% of the total, the majority was destined for silage. These were affected by excessive rainfall during germination and the beginning of vegetative development, mainly in October, where more than 400 mm of rainfall occurred. The crops had an uneven plant stand and a population below the recommended level. The corn managed to flower and fill the grain, but suffered losses in terms of volume and quality. In crops planted in October, corn flourished in the middle of a drought, making most fertilization of the cob difficult. Half of the crops were planted in November and December, and are in vegetative development and pre-flowering and, despite the drought having compromised their development, there are no conditions to account for losses.

Rice 

In Rio Grande do Sul, 71% of the crop is in the germination/vegetative development phase, 22% in flowering and 7% in grain filling. In general, crops continue to show good development, favored by the availability of water associated with days with high luminosity and high temperatures in the morning and afternoon and mild temperatures at night. In the Emater/RS-Ascar de Bagé Region, 79% of crops are in germination/vegetative development, 18% in flowering and 3% in grain filling, presenting an excellent state of development. Regarding the phytosanitary conditions of the crops, there are no records of pest and disease attacks. The restricted occurrence of rain in the region has contributed to a decrease in water levels in dams and flows in rivers and streams.

Beans 1st harvest

In the Ijuí region, the crop is in the maturation (12%) and harvest (88%) phases, which is advancing due to stable weather conditions and little rain, favorable to drying the grains in the field. The harvested grains have been of good quality and productivity in late crops has been lower due to the lack of water for plant development. In the Santa Rosa region, 85% of the area is harvested, with yields of 1.200 kilos per hectare. In Salvador das Missões, crops are in excellent condition, reaching 1.650 kilos per hectare. Most producers are waiting for the planting of the second crop (safrinha) for the end of January, so that the flowering and grain filling phases occur in March, when temperatures tend to be mild. In the Santa Maria Region, 30% of crops are in the grain filling phase (pod formation), 30% are maturing and 40% have already been harvested. Weather conditions are reflected in losses in first harvest crops. The planting of second-crop beans began after last week's rains and the expectation is to reach 1.053 hectares, which could change depending on the lack of precipitation.

Vegetable crops

Onion - On the coast of the Porto Alegre region, where the largest onion area is concentrated, the climate affected production throughout the crop cycle. The spring rains affected the vegetative development of early varieties, which had the formation of bulbs with poor skin quality and no storage conditions due to diseases. The lack of rain at the end of November and during December affected the formation of bulbs of medium and late cycle varieties, leaving them with an inappropriate size and of lower commercial value, affecting productivity, initially estimated between 20 and 25 tons per hectare. Sales occur at prices between R$0,40 and R$0,50/kg, paid to the producer. With the increase in supply in the region and with the product showing lower quality, the price fell in relation to initial expectations, with a tendency to remain at this level. For producers who are able to store higher quality onions, the tendency is to obtain better prices from the end of January, when supply will decrease.

Fruit crops

Peach - In the Caxias do Sul region, the later peach varieties are in full harvest, such as Chiripá, Barbosa and Eragil – the first two with cream flesh, Eragil with yellow flesh and all with loose pits, a characteristic highly appreciated by the consumer. The fruits have excellent color and flavor, but the size is slightly lower than expected, even in orchards with irrigation. The plants are vigorous, and the health of the fruits is excellent in relation to brown rot, a disease that is unfavorable due to the lack of humidity. On the other hand, the dry climate and high temperatures favor the attack of Fruit Fly, the main pest of the crop. Phytosanitary treatments and green pruning are carried out.

In the Pelotas region, the peach harvest was practically closed, totaling 99% of the 5.311 hectare area, cultivated by 1.041 producers/families in the region. The harvesting of production for the canning industry has been completed and a small portion remains destined for the fresh market. There is a drop in the region's total production due to the lack of rainfall in recent weeks, which affected fruit growth and produced peaches classified as type II, of lower commercial value.

Citrus - The bergamot and orange orchards in the Vale do Caí region, the main citrus producer in Rio Grande do Sul, are in the off-season. The dry period is extremely harmful to the development of citrus fruits; the leaves and fruits may fall and even the plant may dry out. In Bom Princípio, citrus farming is being hit hard by the drought that has set in since December. The Tahiti acid lime (the well-known green lemon) is in critical condition; Several producers contacted Emater/RS-Ascar to report the death of plants in the orchard, from young plants to other plants over ten years old. In addition to plant mortality caused by drought, the fruits are small and dry. In Montenegro, where there is the largest production of bergamots in the State, only 5% of farmers started thinning their bergamots due to drought; Those who do, place the fruit on the ground, as it is not yet of sufficient size to be sold to the industry that manufactures green bergamot essential oil. Furthermore, fertilization could not be carried out in the final months of 2019, due to the lack of rain. Plants are stressed, and the absorption of nutrients, agrochemicals and other inputs is impaired; Therefore, many farmers are choosing not to carry out applications and spraying. This stress and lack of management may result in loss of production and lower quality fruits.