Expodireto Special: Fair exposes solutions for root growth and combating drought

The effects of the severe drought that punished crops in Rio Grande do Sul in December and January highlighted, once again, the need for producers to seek solutions to face this climate phenomenon that systematically affects the state.

One of the cheapest and simplest solutions, recommended by experts, is in the soil itself and in the roots of the plants. As explained by agronomist and soil specialist, Eduardo Silva e Silva, everything starts with good rooting of the plant.

“Soil care is essential to activate plant rooting. The root is the mouth of the plant and the larger the mouth, the greater the entry point for water and nutrients,” he says.

The expert highlights that the use of mineral fertilizers, based on calcium and sulfur, are bio-activators for the growth of central and fine roots, reaching deeper layers of the soil and increasing the plant's potential for nutritional use.

“It would be like turning the root cap into a drill responsible for drilling the soil and reaching great depths. Calcium is responsible for keeping this drill sharp. The fine roots produced add to the soil, offer greater aeration, help with water retention and chemical decompression”, he highlights.

A source of soluble calcium and sulfur, Sulfacal fertilizer has been applied with great success to Rio Grande do Sul's corn, soybean and pasture crops, among others. The technology, developed by the Santa Catarina company SulGesso, is made from phosphogypsum reserves located in the municipality of Imbituba, on the coast of Santa Catarina. SulfaCal (granulated calcium sulfate) has gained the trust of producers for improving plant rooting, reducing toxic aluminum and helping to decompact the soil, in addition to increasing resistance to drought.

In Bossoroca, a municipality located in the Missões region, corn and soybean producer Marco Aurélio Hentz approved the solution found in the soil itself. “I invested in granulated calcium sulfate in soybeans and had an excellent result, with 8 more bags per hectare, so I decided to repeat the investment in corn. Then, in addition to not facing any problems with drought, we also harvested the best corn harvest in recent years”, says Marco Aurélio, who reveals that he harvested an average of 150 bags/hectare.

Finally, the soil specialist reinforces the importance of organic matter in the soil. According to Silva, the more roots a plant produces, the greater the benefit to the biological component of the soil. “The use of mineral fertilizers with a high concentration of calcium and sulfur favors the creation of an environment favorable to the growth of microorganisms beneficial to the plant, creating a kind of protective shield against opportunistic microorganisms”, he concludes.