Three harvests in the same agricultural year improve profitability by up to 20%

The West region and the state of Paraná have special conditions that make them models in agricultural production and productivity. In addition to the fertility of the soil and the dedication of the producers, these areas have a climate that allows the cultivation and harvesting of three crops per year. Many farmers are starting to invest in the new product and the results are very good, as shown in the most recent episode of the winter edition of Show Rural Coopavel, which is now available on channels www.showrural.com.br e youtube.com/showruralagro.

One of the main advantages of adopting the system is improving the property's profitability by up to 20% per year. Coopavel agronomist Amauri Procopilk informs that the advancement of research and the launch of cultivars and early hybrids with high productive potential have a large contribution to the viability and success of the three annual harvests. “Planning, considering the planting and harvesting periods, is another aspect to be considered with the utmost attention”, according to Amauri.

Genetic improvement has brought to the market several options for short-cycle materials with excellent performance. In soybeans, producers need to choose cultivars with a 120-day cycle, with high production potential and easy adaptation to early planting. For the corn hybrid, the choice must be super early quality with a cycle of up to 145 days. The selected materials must have tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases. To save time and keep the three-harvest schedule under control, the corn harvest must be brought forward considering grain moisture between 25 and 28 degrees.

Wheat seed must have virtues such as good health, high productive potential and good industrial quality. The early cycle should be 110 days. According to Amauri, the recommendation is to plant soybeans in the last decade of September with harvest at the end of January. Then, corn begins with harvest expected in the second half of June. Because the period is within the indicated zoning, the producer may even opt for wheat agricultural insurance.

Following the schedule of the three harvests, wheat planting should take place in mid-June with harvest expected in the last decade of September. Technicians report that it is possible, if necessary, to use desiccation to bring forward harvests. The climate is an important aspect in this strategy, notes the Coopavel agronomist. “Therefore, especially in winter due to the low rainfall, good logistics of machines and implements are required from the farmer to speed up the harvesting and planting of crops at the duly recommended times”.

Benefits

Although relatively new, the option for three harvests in the same agricultural year brings numerous advantages and benefits: the financial results are greater and there are agronomic gains with the maximization of the soil's potential, increasing productivity and reducing costs with the correct management of the use of pesticides and herbicides. Amauri Procopilk informs that there are indirect and direct benefits that attract an increasing number of rural producers interested in joining this farming system.

The indirect benefits are as follows: better use of chemical fertilizers in the system; greater straw production (corn contributes 5,5 thousand kilos of straw per hectare; and wheat with up to 4,5 thousand kilos/hectare) and control of weeds, mainly horseweed and bitter. There are also improvements in the planting of soybeans on wheat straw.

The direct benefits are: better use of rural property infrastructure; better profitability and increased straw in the system, making it difficult for weed seeds to germinate, leading to pesticide savings. “Only at this specific point, better management of chemical products, can the farmer reduce costs of two bags of soybeans per hectare”, according to Amauri.

Equipment

Due to planting on straw, especially corn, some adjustments to equipment are required to maximize results. Agronomist Matheus Antonio Cantelli explains that the adjustment of the seeder must be rigorous. The pressure on the seeding carts must be correct so that the equipment can cut the straw, open the furrow, distribute the seeds and fertilizer which, at the same time, must be correctly covered by a layer of soil.

Rural producers must pay attention to the pressure of the springs and depth limiters, always observing the characteristics of the straw in each field. Using this technique, the quantity of seeds, when cultivated on corn straw, must be 20% greater than conventionally. Fertilization also needs to be greater and the speed of the machinery to be lower so that the operation takes place in the best way possible.