Several states in Brazil suffer from the problem of infestation and resistance of weeds, as is the case of the South region with Buva and Azevém, for example. This challenge has a direct impact on the farmer’s behavior, the market, and crop productivity. During the XXXI Brazilian Congress of Weed Science, held last week in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), solutions and examples of intelligent management were presented and how this can help reduce weed population and protect the planting.
According to the manager of good agricultural practices of the INTACTA 2 XTEND® platform for Brazil, Ramiro Ovejero, there are in the country today with mixed infestations of weeds, that is, broad-leaved plants, resistant to more than one herbicide, causing the farmer in the same area. “This is a challenge not only for the farmer but also for the researchers who study these cases and for the industry that is looking for new tools to help the producer to have a good result in pest control,” he says.
Increasingly new technologies and good agricultural practices are needed to control weeds correctly. According to the professor of the Higher School of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ / USP), Pedro Christoffoleti is perhaps one of the most promising strategies for coping with lost productivity and increasing production costs, caused by weed resistance. “It is estimated that weeds reduce production by 34%”, explains the professor.
The following example
Farmers are increasingly investing in integrated crop management to achieve good results. Almost 100 years ago, the family of Rogério Pacheco, from the municipality of Carazinho, in Rio Grande do Sul, works in the countryside. He is the third-generation rural producer and has been producing soybeans since the 1960s. Pacheco was one of the panelists on “The Future of Biotechnology Facing the Challenge of Controlling Weeds in the Agricultural System” during the Congress.
The farmer highlights the need to rotate herbicides and crops for more efficient pest control and how much no-till has helped to manage weeds. “No-till has taught us that the system depends on a lot of straw.” This straw is a natural herbicide, since it physically controls the herb, we can not leave all the responsibility for the chemical, we must also have a well-managed management to reduce the appearance of weeds, “he says.
With the best integrated handling, correct use of chemicals and no-tillage, the soil is enveloped, conserving moisture and nutrients. “Today, about 90% of our planted area has earthworms in the soil.” “What does that mean?” “What has life in the soil,” says the producer.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.