Technical visit to Canola crops

On the last Friday (08-20), the Grupo de Trabalho DRS Biocombustíveis consisted of Banco do Brasil, BSBIOS, UPF, Embrapa, Sindicato Rural de Passo Fundo, Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais de Passo Fundo, Emater, Ministério da Agricultura, Associação dos Engenheiros Agrônomos de Passo Fundo, Prefeitura Municipal de Passo Fundo and Conselho Municipal de Desenvolvimento Agropecuário, achieved a technical field visit to Canola crops in the region. The objective was to verify in loco the development of this crop and comprehend what is still necessary so that the crop area growths even more.

Properties in Tio Hugo and Colorado were visited, the itinerary included one visit to Produfort, in Colorado, a company which produces platforms for Canola cut and windrowing. At a first moment, at the Mr. José Moacir Rodrigues Muller's crop, in Posse Muller, in the town of Tio Hugo, a 32 ha crop was observed. "Last year, 21 hectares were grown and this year I have increased the area, it is good for the soil. The soybean grown later had greater productivity", he asserted. The technician of COTRIJAL, Leoder Machado, who follows the crop, said: "still with the strong frost last year, there was yield with the area planted and the expectation is even better for this year, because of the weather, crops have shown a good potential".

The researcher of Embrapa-Trigo, Dr. Gilberto Tomm, emphasized that the agro-climatic zoning that was conquered in 2007, "a good crop of Canola must take into account the period recommended for the crop which is always in the beginning of the one indicated in the zoning. Even with the frost over this crop in the beginning of flowering, there was no silica abortion problem, guaranteeing the productivity". For him, other factors must also be taken into account. "When making an average on the productivity, things such as crop uniformity, the existence of a pattern, whether or not lines were let, that is, empty spaces must be observed. Also, fertilization must be evaluated so that the plant is healthy, the more fertilizers are applied the greatest the productivity is," he asserted.

As for canola harvest, it can be made directly or through cut and windrowing by means of a platform. In Colorado, Produfort developed the equipment that according to one of the partners of the company, Lauro Fassini, provides more security to the producer. "By using this technology Canola harvest is more guaranteed, thus the crop maturation seems to be more irregular. With cut and windrowing it is possible to deal with climate changes once canola can remain in the crop without trashing, what would not be possible otherwise", he emphasized. For the producer of Colorado, from Triunfo, Vilmar Sartori, canola is better in 2010. "This is the second year I grow canola and have good expectations as for the crop, I do not see any difficulty regarding it. There was no market for wheat. I will keep on growing canola. Crop liquidity favors the producer, it is a great advantage". The same opinion is shared by the producer Jorge Pino, of the Linha Paquinhas, also from Colorado. "Canola is a crop that came to aggregate, since it is safe at the moment of selling and the price is guaranteed", he said.

The Coordinator of the Development sector of BSBIOS, Eng. Agrônomo Fábio Júnior Benin, took the opportunity to invite everybody to participate in the opening of the Canola Crop that will happen on September 21st, in Colorado. "The activity will count on the dynamics of cut and windrowing equipments, technical assistance stands so that the producers can solve their doubts, among others", he stated.