Canola growth begins to be sown in the region

We are in April, the month when canola cultivation sowing activities begin in the region of Passo Fundo. Based on the climatic zoning for canola crops published by Embrapa, the date which limits the beginning of the crops is April 11th, and it goes until June 20th, where the greater part of the areas are grown in the initial stage of this period, preferential date with respect to the crop establishment and yield.

According to information from the technical team of BSBIOS Development Department, responsible for the technical monitoring of the areas invested by the company for canola growth, the producers of the region were waiting for the ground conditions for the beginning of sowing. "The direction is that sowing is achieved at the moment in which the soil is wet enough to allow uniform crop germination, and this was possible because of the rain registered in the last weekend. From this date, as rain stopped, the crops will begin in the region" states Eng. Agr. Fábio Junior Benin, Coordinator of BSBIOS Development Department. The expectation is that for the crop of 2010, BSBIOS will invest a total of 15.000 ha, distributed in the North and Northwest region of RS, SC and PR. These numbers are the result of a joint effort among BSBIOS, cooperatives, cerealists and producers partners in the region, research bodies and rural extension and financing institutions, each one focused on its work and providing structure to canola development program.

In this early stage, the professionals of the Development Department have directed efforts towards seeders adjustment to be used in canola crops, as well as directed the producers to the use of more adequate hybrids for each technologic reality. With the use of 3 kg of seeds/ha only, the seeders demand accuracy in the adjustments for the mechanism of seeds distribution, and that sometimes do not influence the quality of seeding for crops like soybean and maize. As the quantity of seeds is quite smaller than the traditional crops, the adjustment demands special attention, thus it influences directly on the quality of seeds/ha, as well as on the uniformity of emergency and consequently the uniformity of ripeness.

Canola crop has becoming the focus among winter crops grown in the region and with a significant growth in the area in the last few years, stimulated by the market real guarantees in its commercialization, idle areas occupation in the winter and because crops rotation is an important alternative, canola has attracted the producers' attention.

And, this is proved by the quantitative as well as qualitative results. Quantitatively, with technological domain of the process, technical monitoring and research support, the area has grown, thus more professionals are increasingly closer to producers for support and technical directions. This is one of the principles of the Development Department of BSBIOS, a careful technical monitoring of the areas searching for the best results. Qualitatively, the rates of the crop productivity and profitability show, again, its potential based on years of monitoring and analysis of profitability and productivity results. "Our objective is to demonstrate to producers that the crop has technical and economic feasibility, area to be grown and market guaranteed, and that is very important to the producer, thus it provides conditions of good results to this new crop" asserts Benin.

Because the market of biodiesel is hot, with a current mixture percentage of 5%, the demand for vegetable oils is in constant growing, and that consolidates a great consumer market to which canola crop is directed. Based on its planning, BSBIOS aims at the external market, mainly the European, which uses colza oil as the standard oil for the production of biodiesel, with chemical characteristics that are similar to canola oil.