Weeds threaten the quality of corn in the second harvest

With the second corn harvest beginning, farmers need to be alert to the presence of weeds in their crops, especially sorghum, which can cause serious problems, especially in grain marketing. It's important to note that there's sorghum planted as a crop and sorghum, which is considered an invasive plant, known locally as broom, sorghum, or witch's broom, among other common names.

Cocari reinforces awareness and attention to the presence of these plants in crops, highlighting the need for proper management to avoid losses. In 2024, the cooperative faced challenges with the presence of these seeds in corn shipments, a situation that is not exclusive to Cocari but also affects other institutions.

Identification and prevention

Cocari's Technical Department supervisor, Fábio Ribeiro, explains that sorghum is a plant whose species is difficult to identify by its seed alone, so it is safer not to harvest these weeds along with the crop.

"These plants are found in our areas of operation, near utility poles, along crop borders, and wherever herbicide spraying fails, developing and seeding alongside the crop. It's crucial to advise our producers to always purchase certified, traceable, and impurity-free seeds for sowing. We also recommend that any sorghum species (S. halepense, S. almum, S. arundinaceum) remaining in the area until the corn harvest should be removed so as not to be harvested at the same time," warns Fábio, noting that the cleaning systems used in combine harvesters and grain processing machines aren't 100% efficient in separating impurities and contaminants.

He compares the sorghum situation to that of castor beans. "Today, farmers know that if they find a castor bean plant in their area, they must remove it immediately to avoid contaminating their load. Likewise, it's crucial that producers adopt the same practices for sorghum or any other species considered a quarantine pest," he emphasizes.

Fábio Ribeiro emphasizes that raising awareness about the importance of not harvesting sorghum plants together with corn is vital to avoid future marketing problems. Therefore, Cocari, through its Technical Department consultants, is committed to recommending effective weed control practices throughout the year, regardless of the crop planted, in compliance with legislation and alerting producers to the need to monitor their crops and remove any invasive plants chemically or mechanically.