Technological showcase shows evolution of millet breeding

Millet gains more importance in Brazilian agriculture with each harvest due to its high adaptability and versatility. In order to further deepen knowledge about the culture, an immersion was carried out in Campo Grande (MS), at the Bonamigo ATTO Melhoramento (BAM) Research Center, the main millet breeding company in Brazil and the second largest millet bank. germplasm of culture in the world.

BAM prepared a technological showcase of the culture, with commercial millet materials already in wide use, such as: the Grain Hybrids ADRg 9060 and ADRg 9070, the Valente Forage Hybrid ADRf 6010, the Straw Variety ADR 300 and the SuperMassa Forage Variety ADR 500, in addition the evolution of research.

“Mill is a crop that is very responsive to the needs of Brazilian farmers. In mixed, sandy soils, with irregular rainfall, or soils with low moisture retention, millet excels in results and poses much less risk to the producer”, says the chief breeder of BAM's millet improvement program, Luiz Bonamigo.

In two days, more than 40 people including farmers, technicians, agronomists, representatives of cooperatives and resellers attended the presentation on hybrids and varieties of millet.

The complete structure of the Research Center was also presented, such as the nematology and phytopathology laboratories, the ten greenhouses for cultivation and the doctors and masters who are part of the research team. The center's area expanded last year, and of the 20 hectares of total area, 12 ha are irrigated, in addition to having six greenhouses for phytopathology and nematology studies.

Diversity of hybrids

BAM's agricultural breeding engineer, Lucas Souto Bignotto, highlights the main characteristics of millet, such as nutrient recycling, good straw production, combating the main nematodes, which is combined with excellent grain production, bringing income to the farmer and being an option for planting a second crop with the lowest possible risk in the window.

“What draws the attention of farmers, consultants and technical staff who come to visit us is the versatility of use that millet has, which ranges from forage use, straw, silage, pre-dried and grain production, with excellent results in all these functions. Another thing that attracted attention is the quality of commercial products. In the case of forage, it is the quality both in terms of green mass and excellent bromatological quality, resulting in more milk and more meat for the producer”, explains Bignotto.

Superior value for money

Luiz Bonamigo explains that the favorable characteristics of millet place it as a different crop in relation to corn and sorghum. He reinforces that millet brings security, especially with ADRg 9060 and 9070.

“This reality was presented to visitors during field days, showing the basic characteristics of millet. The development of the culture, the improvement process, how the materials were developed, the process of changing the plant architecture, which was previously known only as cover, which is the case of ADR 300, and ADR 500 as forage, and how we are changing plant architecture to produce much more grains”, explains Bonamigo.

The chief breeder, however, points out that it is essential to follow BAM's technical management recommendations, which was reinforced in the showcase. “We emphasize following the recommendations in our technical manual, especially regarding the appropriate planting time. And by carrying out the appropriate cultural treatments, especially in relation to fungicide in an area free of weeds, our ADRg 9060 and ADRg 9070 materials are capable of expressing a productivity of around 40 bags per hectare, which brings excellent profitability”.