Agriculture

Rice production: how to increase grain yield and quality?

produção de arroz
07
Jul
Producing more and with higher quality are challenges faced by almost all farmers who have rice production. After all, to obtain greater economic returns, regardless of the size of the cultivated area, it is necessary to keep costs under control and achieve high productivity.
Rice cultivation is growing in Brazil. IBGE’s estimate for the Brazilian rice harvest in 2020 is for a production of 10.4 million tons, 0.9% higher than in 2019. Thus, the average yield should grow 3.6% to 6 266 kg/ha, while the planted area is expected to decline by 3.4%.
But do you know how to increase the productivity of your crops? How is it possible to reduce costs? How to manage the soil properly? What is the importance of integrated pest control? Next, we will provide useful information that will help you to get better results. Check out!

See how it is possible to reduce costs in rice production

A survey carried out by Embrapa agronomists found that it was possible to obtain high yields of irrigated rice with a reduced cost per bag produced using smaller quantities of inputs. For this, these resources must be applied rationally, at the most appropriate time for the development of culture.
However, rational management involves not only the planned reduction of some inputs but also the adoption of appropriate measures in the irrigated rice production system, such as crop-livestock integration, no-till; crop rotation; correct pasture management, and grazing animal production.
Learn how to do proper soil management
According to the Riograndense do Arroz Institute (IRGA), adequate soil management can bring about an increase in productivity of around 15%. This gain can be obtained by reducing soil preparation, covering with rice straw, using crop rotation, and harvesting on dry soil. Thus, we have benefits such as reduced weed infestation, improved fertility, diversification of income sources.
For the researcher, Filipe Selau, master in Soil Science, the issue of integrated production systems is reappearing as a new pillar of more sustainable research, in the sense of bringing together all available crops, mainly for lowland environments.
According to the researcher, it is important to sow rice directly with crop rotation, such as soybeans, corn, and pastures, with the insertion of animals in grazing, with the objective of cycling nutrients for the benefit of irrigated rice culture.

See how integrated pest management works

Integrated pest management is another practice capable of increasing productivity in crops. This is because rice is a crop susceptible to several phytophagous insects, that is, that feed on vegetables.

Among these pests, we can mention the rhizophagous termites, the stink bugs, the leafhopper, the root aphid, the rice caterpillar, the borers, the black peacock, and the aquatic weevil. They can cause damage at any stage of the production cycle – at planting, during plant maturation, or even after the storage of the harvested grains.

The most appropriate way to defend the plantation is to do integrated control. This treatment is based on care with the climate, the soil, and all the elements that involve the planting of the cereal. While the control aims not only to reduce losses but also to decrease the use of biocides, this helps to preserve the environment.

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) recommends that each crop have a management plan developed according to the needs of the region. After all, every rural property has its peculiarities. Besides, rainfall intensity, relief design, and crops in neighboring lands vary.

produção de arroz

Discover MAPA tips for putting control into practice

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) developed a Technical Circular 44/2001 with tips for integrated pest control:

  • Preserve natural pest predators;
  • Use insecticides in a preventive or curative way;
  • Use a light trap to attract insects;
  • Avoid planting rice less than 500 meters from sugar cane, corn or grasses that host pests;
  • Keep the soil without vegetation for a period between 15 and 20 days before planting;
  • Flatten the terrain, eliminating depressions in the soil, allowing a low and uniform water depth;
  • Do not plant rice in a staggered manner in the same area or nearby territories;
  • Remove host plants from pests, both in the field and in the surroundings;
  • Skim the infested vegetation or steamroller over it;
  • Prefer balanced fertilization, without excess nitrogen;
  • Leave the frames flooded as long as possible.

Learn how Roblift Agro helps in rice production

In search of increased productivity and reduced costs, farmers invest in versatile and high-performance agricultural machines. An equipment that has stood out in the rice culture is the Roblift Agro, a multi-use roll on-roll off trailer recognized for its versatility and economy.

With the Roblift Agro, the farmer can harvest with just one tractor, reducing expenses with labor, fuel, and equipment maintenance.

produção de arroz

Also, this roll on-roll off equipment can be used as a bulk carrier during harvest, as a trailer to streamline the planting process with the supply of fertilizer, to assist spraying with the water tank, among other applications.

“What led me to buy it was, mainly, the decrease in labor – I now harvest my entire rice area with one employee and a single tractor, and I managed to eliminate three bulk carriers from the field because of the equipment,” comments a farmer from Santa Vitória do Palmar (RS).

A great advantage is that it is capable of operating in places with difficult access, such as humid terrain, even in periods of rain: “The equipment gave me tranquility to harvest even after a rain,” completes the producer.

As we have seen, measures such as cost reduction using fewer inputs, integrated crop management, and integrated pest control can contribute significantly to increasing productivity in rice cultivation.

Did you like this article? Do you want to know more about the different applications of Roblift Agro in the field? Visit our website to download all the information about this multipurpose trailer!

With all these features, Roblift optimizes the tractor’s use potential to the maximum and increases the productivity of your business