In Brazil the winter is coming to an end. As all Brazilian regions are finishing the harvest of winter crops, wheat crop quality is poorer than expected.

Due to climate conditions in the regions where harvest was just finished in Paraná state, a big producer of the crop, the pH of the cereal is lower. During the filling of the grain the rain also disturbed quality. Problems with lodging of wheat in the state caused entire crop areas to be laid down and the wheat to lose test weight. This situation is leading to results lower than what was first projected for the 2021 season.

The Isoton family, which farms in Toledo, Paraná State, said, “In the beginning of the season, the weather was favorable for crop development, but the intense frosts this year were strong and harmful. Some of the wheat harvested was a little late, but since the price of the product has moved higher, it was enough to pay for the costs of planting.”

On the other hand

High yields in the Cerrado region will make Brazil self-sufficient in wheat through the next few years. This is due to two production systems: the wheat for crop rotation (second crop) wheat, and the irrigated wheat.

Sebastião Pedro, head of Embrapa Cerrado, said, “This culture is an important alternative to the productive system of Cerrado. World record yields are being achieved in the region. Now, we are bringing options of dry wheat to produce in the second crop after soybeans.”

Embrapa’s wheat cultivars now occupy 70% of the cultivated area in the region, and one field hit a record yield: 143.5 bushels of wheat per acre.

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.