Emater, Embrapa launch project to reduce use of pesticides on soybeans

The Rural Institute of Technical Assistance of the Brazilian state of Paraná (Emater) will launch a project in November to discuss the role of the Integrated Plague Management Program in the state, which is second largest producer of soybeans in Brazil, with the goal of reducing the pesticide applications on soybean. This initiative to spread technical recommendations to 92 municipalities will be supported by the soybean division of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa), city halls, cooperative unions, universities and planning companies. 

 

According to agronomist Nelson Harger, Coordinator of the Grains Project at Emater, the experts of the institution will monitor the properties registered in the program on a weekly basis. A random technique to identify and prevent insects on crops will be used. The program also takes into account factors such as weather forecasting and other variables to decide the necessity of using chemical control.

 

"The strategy is to maximum avoid the use of chemical products. This gives enough time to establish a biological balance in that environment, a situation which the natural enemies are charged to control the undesired plagues,” the coordinator justified.

 

According to him, the first application of pesticides on the crop must be done at 30 days. However, the member of the Emater project sprayed the pesticide only 66 days after the soybeans germination. “It was possible to reduce the volume of agrochemicals applied by 55%, compared to the average of five applications. We obtained environmental benefits and reduction in production costs, which was equivalent to two bags of soybeans per hectare,” Harger pointed out.