RS Harvest 2024/25: soybean planting nears completion

Soybean planting in Rio Grande do Sul has reached 96% of the cultivation area projected by Emater/RS in this 2024/2025 harvest, which is 6.811.344 hectares, with an average productivity of 3.179 kg/ha. According to the Emater/RS Conjunctural Information, released today (26/12), in general, the completion of soybean planting occurs more slowly due to the sequence of sowing in areas previously occupied by other crops, such as corn and tobacco, or in regions of Crop-Livestock Integration (ILP), where the removal of cattle or the harvest of forage seeds occurs late. Soybean planting should be completed by the first half of January, as the areas are released.

So far, soybean crops have shown excellent development, driven by high levels of light and reasonable levels of soil moisture. Plants in the vegetative phase (96% of the cultivated area) have shown significant emission of lateral branches and closure between adjacent rows, indicating satisfactory vigor. In crops of early cultivars, sown in the first half of October, flowering has begun (4%). From this stage onwards, water demand increases significantly, which is a cause for concern due to the irregular distribution and low volumes of rainfall that occurred in the first three weeks of December, especially in the center and west of the state.

Corn - Sowing progressed moderately, reaching 95% of the area projected for the 2024/2025 Harvest, which is 748.511 hectares. The operation is being completed at a slower pace due to late implementation in small areas in the South Region and in the Campanha, as well as the practice of planting in the second crop in other regions, in areas currently occupied by corn, tobacco and beans. This sowing should be completed throughout the month of January, as the areas occupied by these crops are released for new implementation.

Although rainfall in recent weeks has not been uniform or significant throughout the state, conditions for grain filling are adequate, mainly due to the predominance of mild temperatures, which favor both the preservation of soil moisture and the optimization of the photosynthetic process of plants. The stable weather contributed to the loss of water from grains in crops planted at the beginning of the crop zoning. In areas planted late, central pivot irrigation was used, since they are in the final stage of grain filling, with the possibility of accumulation of photoassimilates.

Corn harvesting has begun in the northwest of the state, reaching 1%. The yield obtained is slightly below the initial projection, which averages 7.116 kg/ha, but higher than the previous harvest. The operation should be expanded in the first half of January, depending on weather conditions, which may accelerate the loss of water from the grain mass.

Corn silage - The harvest of corn for silage has been intensified, as has the sowing of recently harvested areas. It is estimated that 10% of the cultivated area, of 357.311 hectares in this harvest, has been harvested, and 15% are at the ensiling stage, indicating that the operation will accelerate in the coming days. Productivity remains high, and the best yields reach up to 60 kg/ha, above the average productivity projected for this harvest, which is 39.457 kg/ha. The quality of the silage is excellent, since the plants kept the stalks green until the time of cutting, in addition to presenting a good grain load on the ears. These factors contribute to increasing nutritional quality, ensuring high levels of energy and protein value, essential for optimizing animal feed.

Rice - Planting is almost complete. There are still small areas to be planted, which will have minimal impact on the harvest. Sowing was carried out during optimal planting windows, within the preferred period, unlike the previous harvest, when excessive rainfall affected planting in October and November. Rice crops, in general, are showing excellent establishment, as a result of regular rainfall and adequate solar radiation, which have maintained satisfactory plant development in the initial phase of the cycle. However, the minimum temperatures, below the historical average in December, are still a cause for concern among rice farmers, especially given the proximity of the reproductive period. Lower temperatures can both impact physiological processes, such as panicle differentiation, and compromise the number of grains per ear, which are fundamental elements for the final yield of the crop.

Rice producers in RS are carrying out the necessary cultural practices, such as adequate irrigation to maintain the floodplain, the application of top dressing to meet nutritional demands, especially in relation to nitrogen, and the application of selective herbicides to control weeds, preparing the crops for the beginning of the reproductive period. The Rio Grande do Sul Rice Institute (Irga) projects an area of ​​948.356 hectares under cultivation. Emater/RS estimates productivity of 8.478 kg/ha.

Beans 1st harvest - the harvest has advanced significantly in the areas sown at the beginning of the period recommended by the Agricultural Zoning of Climatic Risk (Zarc). However, most crops are still in the final stages of the production cycle. The results so far are considered favorable, and productivity reaches around 1.500 kg/ha, within expectations for the agricultural cycle. These areas represent approximately 60% of the total cultivated in the first harvest in the State. The remaining 40% is concentrated in Campos de Cima da Serra, where later plantings are still being carried out. For the 2024/2025 Harvest in the State, Emater/RS projects the cultivation of 28.896 hectares, and the estimated average productivity is 1.864 kg/ha.