Rice sowing in RS reaches 57% of the total area

The Rio Grande do Sul Rice Institute (Irga) continues to monitor rice sowing data throughout the state of Rio Grande do Sul. According to a report from the Irga Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Division, 528.518 hectares have already been sown, representing 57,44% of the total intended area. 

The South Zone remains highlighted as the region closest to completing sowing, as it already has 92,84% of the intention, that is, 145.342 hectares sown. 

The Campanha Region also saw progress, with 78.034 hectares planted, 57,53% of the target. In the Inner Coastal Plain, the figure is 59,54%, equivalent to 83.642 hectares. In the Outer Coastal Plain, the data indicates 35.742 hectares planted, representing 37,67% of the target. 

One of the main rice growing areas in RS, the Border Region, with the good weather windows for sowing in recent days, has managed to advance, with a sown area of ​​157.744 hectares, that is, 58,03%. 

With the lowest sowing rates, the Central Region, registers 23,21%, with 28.014 hectares sown until this Thursday (10/23). 

Dater Manager Luiz Fernando Siqueira emphasizes that planting season is one of the key factors in successfully increasing productivity. "We know there's significant concern about the rice sector, and monitoring planting rates gives us a better understanding of the situation. We're now expecting rain this weekend to ensure good crop establishment," explains Siqueira. 

According to the technician, the forecast is that by the end of the month, regions will have completed their sowing in all planned areas. The 2025/2026 harvest will see a 5,17% reduction in planted area compared to the last 2024/2025 harvest, decreasing from 970.216 hectares to 920.081 hectares throughout the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Irga research team intensifies analysis of integrated systems 

The project "Irrigated Rice Production Systems in Lowlands in the State of Rio Grande do Sul" is underway, focusing on evaluating six integrated rice production systems. Analyses are conducted by monitoring the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of the soil.

The team at the Rio Grande do Sul Rice Institute's Research Station in Cachoeirinha has been intensely dedicated to technical studies in integrated systems within the institutional project Rice System RS14. This week, researcher Pablo Gerzson Badinelli, accompanied by the newly integrated Rice Specialists from the Scientific Research team at the Rice Experimental Station—Jocélia Rosa da Silva, Fernanda Sanes, and Marthin Zang—conducted soil samples in areas with and without ryegrass intercropped with Persian clover in winter, as well as in areas without cover crops for analysis. 

A survey of the soil compaction status was also carried out using a SoloStar – Automated Penetrometer, which, in partnership with the company Falker, also allowed the use of SoloFlux – Digital Permeameter, to assess permeability.  

The main objective of the research is to monitor production systems indefinitely, seeking to understand how each one works and identify which ones best adapt to the different demands of the crop. The goal is to establish a precise scientific definition of the performance and characteristics of each system, directly contributing to the improvement of rice farming in Rio Grande do Sul.