Fertilizer crisis: The order is not to waste

Brazil, the fourth largest consumer of fertilizers globally, imports more than 85% of these inputs and is therefore vulnerable to fluctuations in the international market.

Among the crops that most demand these products are soybeans, corn and sugarcane, which account for about 73% of national consumption, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). In periods of uncertainty, such as the current one, with high prices and the risk of shortages, the order is to rationalize fertilizer use and avoid waste as much as possible.

“A well-executed application will not need to be redone, so assertiveness is essential at this point. In the case of soybeans, where this practice is required four to seven times per harvest, or cotton, which can reach 20 times, the difference can be significant,” said Antonio Loures, a specialist in application technology, a set of practices that has been gaining expressive importance at all times of the cycle.

Loures is one of the developers of SprayPlan©, an unprecedented system for planning and monitoring aerial applications of agrochemicals, a practice widely used in crops from North to South of the country. “Where the plane comes in, our work comes in. The software quantifies and qualifies the operation, and planning and monitoring of the entire application process. It also shows the producer how much and where the product has been applied, helping to manage the resource. Finally, we deliver greater control, productivity and optimization in aerial applications of agricultural inputs,” he explained.

The use of inappropriate configurations can cause losses, such as, for example, direct waste of inputs caused by incorrect application rates or bandwidth. Likewise, a lower dosage in the application commonly results in ineffective pest control. “On the other hand, overdose results in unnecessary expenditure of inputs. When he hires us, the producer knows that he will receive what was agreed upon,” Loures added. In addition, the businessman pointed out that the system increases the effectiveness of coverage of agrochemical products from 75% to up to 96% of the treated area. In addition to monitoring, equipment calibration and weather conditions are crucial for assertive operation.

Spray Plan© surpassed the one million hectare mark analyzed, mainly in cotton, soybean and sugarcane crops, and can be used in several other crops. Loures also recalls that the platform is “ideal for cooperatives so the small producer also knows how much was applied.” The tracking of shipped inputs and backup areas, aiming at redirection plans, can avoid waste between 15% and 20%. In addition to greater productivity, adopting the program as a planning and monitoring model also results in the mitigation of socio-environmental risks, such as drift.

The Spray Plan© platform was conceived by Dominus Soli, an agro startup that pioneered eight years ago, in the segment of planning, evaluation and correction of agrochemical aerial application services, in which Loures is a founding partner. “We work with dynamic maps and graphics that are simple to understand, and the control can be done by cell phone. We help in making agile and accurate decisions,” he added.

The observations and recommendations made by Dominus Soli are also relevant for pesticide manufacturers, who depend on the quality of the application service to deliver the results promised by the product. “It is very common to obtain different results, in nearby areas, with identical cultivars that received the same treatment. Assertiveness from one end to the other is necessary, and that is what we propose,” Loures said in conclusion.