RS 2024/25 Harvest: corn productivity drops 3,5% in the state

According to the Informativo Conjuntural published by Emater/RS, the corn harvest in Rio Grande do Sul reached 74% of the planted area. Due to the impacts of the drought, productivity was re-estimated to 6.866 kg/ha, a reduction of 3,5% in relation to the initial projection of 7.116 kg/ha. Currently, 11% of the crops are in the maturation phase, but the productive potential of these areas is lower than that of the crops sown at the beginning of the recommended period.

Late-sown crops, which account for 15% of the cultivated area, still depend on weather conditions to fully develop. The more frequent rainfall in February and early March favored vegetative development, plant vigor and production potential.

However, maintaining this performance is subject to regular rainfall, especially because 8% of these crops are in the critical grain filling phase, and 4% of the areas planted in January are in sensitive stages, such as tasseling and bud formation, which are highly vulnerable to water deficit, the document highlights.

Late crops present good phytosanitary conditions, with low incidence of diseases and pests. Monitoring and control of leafhoppers remain active in crops up to stage V10, when the first ten leaves are fully developed.

Soybean

Regarding soybeans, the harvest increased from 5% to 11% of the cultivated area in RS, following the end of the phenological cycle of the crops. Currently, 41% of the crops are in the grain filling phase, while 39% are already maturing.

In much of the state, yields and maturation remain uneven, reflecting the variability in rainfall distribution throughout the cycle. This climate irregularity impacted both the operational efficiency of the harvest and the final quality of the grains.

In the Central-West region, the crops most affected by the drought have reduced productivity (around 500 kg/ha), in addition to lower grain weight and quality. The lack of rain, especially in areas with the lowest rainfall recorded on March 9, continues to harm plants in critical phases, such as flowering, pod formation and grain filling. The lack of adequate rainfall is a concern for producers, since losses may intensify even further. In areas under water stress, grains have wrinkled teguments and a greenish color. In more extreme cases, losses are observed due to pod opening and threshing, in addition to a significant increase in the demand for coverage from Proagro.

On the other hand, in crops that suffered from water stress in January, but benefited from the rains in February and early March, it is possible to observe pods in different stages of development, from initial formation to complete filling of the grains, as well as the emission of new leaves in the plants.

In terms of phytosanitary measures, treatments against end-of-cycle diseases (DFC) -- caused by fungi -- have been completed in most areas.Cercospora kikuchii","Corynespora cassiicola","Phakopsora pachyrhizi" and others. Asian rust had a lower incidence this harvest. However, the climate is favorable to the development of the fungus. In crops with greater potential, preventive applications are made with high-performance products.