Summer rains will increase grain production – 03/29/2023 – Market

The first months of 2023 were marked by heavy rains in much of Brazil. According to agrometeorologist Marco Antônio dos Santos, the rainfall maintained the soil moisture conditions, but also hindered the full yield of crops.

“When there are several consecutive days of rain, the temperature decreases, lengthening the cycle of the plant”, says Santos. “Cloudiness affects photosynthesis, grain filling and plant development. In addition, the producer cannot go to the field to carry out the necessary spraying and fertilization.”

According to Conab (National Supply Company), the estimate of grain production in the 2022/2023 harvest is 309.9 million tons. This number represents an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous year, when 272.4 million tons of grain were produced.

“It is important that the rain occurs frequently, regularly and comprehensively, but there are times like flowering and grain filling when the crop needs more moisture in the soil”, says Candice Santos, superintendent of agricultural information at Conab.

She also claims, however, that the rainfall contributed to the delay in harvesting in some states, mainly soybeans. Despite this, there was no significant compromise in the quality of the product.

In Minas Gerais, coffee producers benefited from high rainfall after a long drought in 2021.

This year’s rains were important to recharge soil water levels, according to Bernardino Cangussu, technical coordinator of coffee growing at Emater-MG (Company of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension of Minas Gerais).

“It is necessary for the soil to have the correct humidity for the plant to absorb more nutrients and produce better quality grains. This will also be reflected in the next harvest”, he says.

Coffee grower Mauro Grossi, who plants in the municipalities of Imbé de Minas and Piedade de Caratinga, had a positive balance. The rain gave a break in February in that region, allowing the plants to be exposed to the sun. “The crop is ready for maturation. I think the harvest will be in the normal period, between May and June.”

He believes that the harvest will be slightly larger than that of 2022 – which, in addition to the water deficit, was impacted by the frosts that hit the state in the previous harvest.

Carlos Henrique de Oliveira, who produces coffee in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, south of Minas, also saw the rains in early 2023 as positive. However, its production will not be as good this year: part of its plantation was hit by hail in 2022.

“Rain is good because it helps the absorption of fertilizer into the soil, improving grain filling and productivity. But it is also bad, because it rains a lot, and the areas that get less sun have more diseases, increasing costs”, says Oliveira .

In Mato Grosso, farmer Lucas Beber, from Nova Mutum, says that, despite the high volume of precipitation in the summer, there was a shortage in soy planting and an excess in the harvest period. The roads were damaged, which made it difficult to transport production.

The consequence, according to him, was the extension of the soybean cycle, which needed to stay in the field from 10 to 15 days longer than normal due to lower temperatures at planting. This contributed to reducing the time available for harvesting, which had to be done during the rainy season.

Alana Tomen, a researcher in the areas of phytopathology and phytotechnics, says that the main soybean diseases occur when the environment is more humid and with high cloud cover. In addition, excess moisture increases pod opening losses.

She claims that, as there was an increase in productivity, the problems should be compensated. Even so, there is concern about possible losses generated by the delay in planting other crops, such as corn and cotton.

Paraná also had a long delay in the soybean harvest, which represents 91% of the cultivated area in the state. Even so, agronomist Edivan Possamai says that there is expectation of high productivity.

“The expectation is very good in Paraná, due to the planting period and regular rains during the harvest”, says Possamai, who coordinates the Sustainable Grains program, of the Institute of Rural Development of Paraná.

The concern in the state is also with the delay in sowing the second crop, which is occupied mostly by corn plantations. The ideal period for planting varied between the months of February and March. Farmers who missed the planting window are unable to access rural financing and agricultural insurance.

Agronomist and farmer Daniel Rosenthal, from Rolândia (PR), says that the rain has greatly disrupted the harvest in the region. According to him, this process was completed in only 65% ​​of the area, increasing the risk of losses every day.

In Mato Grosso do Sul, family farmer Genivaldo dos Santos, who plants soybeans and corn in the city of Taquarussu, saw the high volume of rains with a positive eye. The year before, it had suffered losses due to drought.

“In 2021 and 2022 we had a crop failure due to the drought. This year, we were worried about the forecast of a lot of rain, but we didn’t suffer losses, we only had benefits”, he says.

According to Izabel Pereira, development manager at Agraer-MS (Agency for Agrarian Development and Rural Extension), the main problem was damage to rural roads. This compromised the transport of production and inputs.

Family farmer Cícera de Andrade, who lives in the Aba da Serra settlement, in Ponta Porã (MS), says that she has lost all the hardwoods in her garden. “It had a very big impact, because we work with fairs and it’s been almost four months since we were able to produce”, she says.

According to Anete Fernandes, meteorologist at Inmet (National Institute of Meteorology), the excess rainfall in these regions occurred due to the formation of the so-called South Atlantic convergence zone.

The phenomenon is characterized as a moisture channel formed in the Amazon region, covering the Midwest and Southeast regions and extending to the ocean.

This phenomenon has occurred more frequently in the last three years, due to the action of La Niña, which causes the cooling of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, interfering with the circulation of the entire atmosphere.

The tendency is for weakening and neutrality of La Niña during autumn. “At the end of March and beginning of April, we still have high temperatures and rain showers, but the natural tendency is for a reduction and, from May, the rains become scarcer because the dry period begins”, she says.

Areas such as the central region of Bahia and the state of Rio Grande do Sul had an opposite scenario. These regions recorded a lack of rain and were negatively impacted on the production of beans, rice and soybeans.