RS 2024/25 Harvest: drought harms summer crops

The reduction in rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul is creating a drought scenario, especially in the Center-West of the state, where crop damage is more severe. According to the Informativo Conjuntural, released by Emater/RS this Thursday (23/01), the most affected areas are those sown in early November, which have lower-than-expected flowering, with leaves and flowers falling off, resulting in significant losses of reproductive structures and a potential decrease in productivity. In soybean crops planted in December, the lack of closure of the inter-rows intensifies the loss of soil moisture, due to greater exposure to wind and solar radiation, in addition to favoring the reinfestation of weeds.

In more critical regions, due to the long period without rainfall or the presence of shallow and sandy soils, mortality of young plants has been observed due to inadequate rooting, compromised leaves and vegetative development below expectations. However, drought conditions are not uniform throughout the state. In the crops located further east of the state, water stress has decreased significantly, approaching normal climatic conditions. Especially in the higher regions of the Plateau and in the Campos de Cima da Serra, more regular rainfall volumes have contributed to maintaining the productive potential of the crops closer to the projected level.

Soybean planting has made limited progress, occurring in areas where rainfall levels have significantly increased soil moisture. However, it has not yet been possible to reach the entire area projected for the harvest, of which 99% has been planted. At the moment, 51% of the crops are in germination and vegetative development, 34% in flowering and 15% in grain filling.

In the administrative region of Emater/RS in Santa Rosa, 59% of the soybean crops are in the vegetative stage, 35% in flowering and 5% in grain filling. Water stress is evident, manifested by intense wilting of the leaves at dawn. In areas with shallow or rocky soils, a brown coloration of the leaves is observed, indicating loss of photosynthetic capacity and possible senescence, if the precipitation conditions do not reverse. The occurrence of more voluminous rainfall, although poorly distributed during the period, allowed the resumption of soybean planting in some areas.

Due to the drought, irrigation systems are operating regularly, ensuring adequate crop development. However, due to increased humidity, it will be necessary to monitor the presence of rust. Once the corn harvest is complete in irrigated crops, producers are planting soybeans in these areas, which are already in the plant emergence phase. The dryland corn stubble areas, in turn, are awaiting rain for planting.

In the Soledade region, water stress in soybean crops has increased. During the hottest hours, the plants have wilted leaves, but they recover at night and in the morning. This physiological mechanism aims to reduce water loss. However, in areas where there are physical soil limitations, losses are irreversible and may increase if it does not rain. This is a time to determine productivity, since 45% of the crops are flowering and 10% are filling grains, which makes restoring moisture extremely necessary.

Corn - the harvest has progressed significantly, reaching 28% of the projected area. Most of the crops being harvested, sown between August and October, did not face water restrictions. Initial results are favorable, exceeding, in many cases, the estimated production potential. Even in the flowering crops, affected by the dry period in November, the observed losses were lower than the losses initially predicted.

In the Center-West region of the state, in areas cultivated later, the impacts of the drought are being observed, especially in crops in flowering and grain filling. A reduction in productivity is projected and, in some cases, crops are being redirected to direct forage or silage production. In the East Region, the frequency of rainfall remains close to normal, not significantly affecting crops in the productive phases.

Corn Silage - silage activities continued during the period, despite the rains that occurred in some regions, which benefited crops in the reproductive stages. The productivity of harvested crops is high, since, in most crops, there was adequate water availability throughout the cycle. However, crops in the reproductive phase in the Central and Western regions of the State are being impacted by the drought. Some crops that are unviable for grain production are being directed to silage, but the resulting product is expected to be of lower quality compared to crops previously harvested.

Rice - On January 15, the rice harvest began in the state in the municipalities of Itaqui and Maçambará. The areas were sown between September 01 and 01 and reached maturity without significant impacts from the drought that has affected the region since mid-December. The productivity obtained is considered satisfactory and reached 10 kg/ha. The weather conditions, in general, remained favorable for the other crops, although there is some risk of stress due to temperatures close to 09°C in municipalities on the Western Border. This scenario can cause spikelet sterility in crops in the flowering and pre-flowering phase.

The excellent availability of solar radiation and low relative humidity have had a positive impact on crop health. However, there is still a high consumption of water for irrigation, which keeps producers aware of river and dam levels. According to the Rio Grande do Sul Rice Institute (Irga), the planted area is 927.885 hectares of irrigated rice. Emater/RS estimates initial productivity of 8.478 kg/ha.

Beans 1st harvest - The harvest of the first crop has progressed and is nearing completion in the Central and Planalto Médio regions. The crops have variable productivity, reflecting the level of technology used and the weather conditions faced. The harvested grains have an adequate weight and quality, ensuring good acceptance in the market and meeting expectations for the harvest. The yields achieved are estimated at 1.600 kg/ha.

Vegetable and fruit crops

Zucchini - in the administrative region of Emater/RS in Lajeado, in Feliz, the zucchini crop has grown in terms of cultivation area in recent years; it is estimated that 90% are planted in a greenhouse system – low tunnel. Using this technology, producers can maintain production practically all year round, including in winter. This is the time for a quality harvest. The most widely planted variety in the municipality is Italiana, but Tronco is also grown. The kilo is being sold between R$1,25 and R$1,75.

Green corn - in the administrative region of Emater/RS in Bagé, the harvest of the first crops planted in September yielded excellent results. However, in the crops planted in October, losses have been significant due to the drought, which affected the crop during the flowering phase. In the region of Santa Rosa, the green corn and sweet corn crops are in full harvest. The sweet corn cob is sold for R$1,50 and the green corn cob for R$0,80.

Fig - in the administrative region of Emater/RS in Caxias do Sul, the expectation for the 2024/2025 Harvest is a slightly smaller harvest compared to historical values, due to the damage to some fig trees, which were flooded during the floods of April/May 2024. The cultivated area remains stable, and producers are renewing their orchards as usual. The crop cycle continues without advances or delays in harvest flows. In the Caí River Valley, the harvest began in mid-December and is ongoing. In Caxias do Sul, Nova Petrópolis and Gramado, the harvest began in the first areas in mid-January. Overall, the quality of the harvested fruits is satisfactory. The prices received by producers are approximately R$3,50/kg for ripe fruit for large industries; and R$9,00 to R$15,00/kg for ripe fruit for table consumption. Some farmers are selling fruit in bulk in small quantities, directly to the consumer, for R$6,00 to R$9,00/kg.