South America Calling

Brazil's Winter Soy

For the first time, farmers in Mato Grosso planted a sizeable crop of soybeans as a winter crop, following summer soybeans. However, the succession really does appear problematic. (DTN photo by Alastair Stewart)

I recently wrote a blog post about the disappointing results of Brazilian farmers' experiment with double-cropping soybeans.

Well, I traveled up to Mato Grosso with the Rally da Safra crop tour, and what I saw tended to underline what I wrote.

For the first time, farmers in Mato Grosso planted a sizeable crop of soybeans as a winter crop, following summer soybeans. However, the succession really does appear problematic.

During my trip, I was shown two second-crop soybeans fields.

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Both crops were irrigated, but farmers were expecting yields no higher than 36 bushels per acre. Meanwhile, as harvesting gets underway, fungicide had already been applied five and six times to control Asian rust.

"Second-crop soybeans is only worth it because of current elevated prices," said Evaldo Ferranotto, manager of one of the farms, a 15,000-acre spread in Tapurah, northern Mato Grosso.

Currently, soybeans are quoted at R$62 per 60-kilogram bag ($12.40 per bushel) in nearby Sorriso, up 13% on the year before.

The second-crop beans will be used for seed, something that Mato Grosso isn't self-sufficient in.

Elsewhere, I heard stories of heavy losses, with yields of 15 bpa to 18 bpa.

The wider concern is that the second crop will hurt next year's summer production by offering an environment for Asian rust fungus to remain in the fields between seasons.

Farmers in Mato Grosso planted around 300,000 acres of second-crop soybeans in 2014.

Mato Grosso state government is considering a ban on planting soybeans between Dec. 31 and Sept. 15, extending the existing restriction that runs from July 15 to Sept. 15.

(AG)

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