Sorghum and millet have Zarc validated in Mato Grosso do Sul

The Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc) for the cultivation of grain sorghum and millet in Mato Grosso do Sul took place during the Validation Meeting On-Line, held on Thursday, August 13th, through a Web Conference. Zarc indicates the most favorable periods for planting by crop and by municipality, taking into account the characteristics of the climate, soil type and cultivar cycle. The tool is useful for producers to prevent climate adversities from coinciding with sensitive crop phases and thus reduce agricultural losses.

Grain sorghum and millet have extremely high soil protection value, and are part of the Brazilian farmer's heritage, explained the researcher from Embrapa Milho e Sorgo (Sete Lagoas, MG), Daniel Pereira Guimarães, who also said that “these grains of tropical origin, they are drought tolerant, have high resistance and contribute to soil cover”.

Around 50 people participated in the event, including representatives of cooperatives, public and private rural technical assistance, banking institutions, millet and sorghum producers, researchers and technicians from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).

This validation meeting was coordinated by Carlos Ricardo Fietz, researcher at Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste (Dourados/MS) and was opened by Walder Antonio Gomes de Albuquerque Nunes, deputy head of Research and Development at Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, . 

The meeting featured presentations by Daniel Pereira Guimarães, researcher at Embrapa Milho e Sorgo (Sete Lagoas, MG); Eder Comunello, researcher at Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste (Dourados, MS) and Laurimar Gonçalves Vendrusculo, researcher at Embrapa Informática Agropecuária (Campinas, SP). The event was closed by researcher Silvando Carlos da Silva, from Embrapa Arroz e Feijão (Santo Antônio de Goiás, GO).

Willian Sawa, Executive Director of Latina Seeds (Foz do Iguaçu/PR), responsible for the company's commercial activities in Brazil and Paraguay, considered this validation meeting relevant and added “this was the first Zarc validation meeting that I participated in. I was impressed with the amount of data that Embrapa has and the quality of the information that is being generated by the institution, especially in terms of georeferencing. This is high-level data and extremely relevant for producers.”

Zarc

Zarc, a project led by Embrapa Informática Agropecuária (Campinas, SP), is a fundamental tool to support rural producers in the planning and execution of agricultural activities. 

It is also a reference for farmers to obtain benefits from the Agricultural Activity Guarantee Program (Proagro) and Rural Insurance. Zarc can be accessed through the Plantio Certo app (available on here). 

Developed by Embrapa, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) and the Central Bank of Brazil. Zarc's objective is to reduce the negative impact of climatic adversities (frost, drought, excess rain, hail, among others) that coincide with the most sensitive phases of crops, minimizing agricultural losses.