Oct 19, 2009
Double Cropping Soybeans With Corn Or Cotton On The Increase In Brazil
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The early start of the rainy season in Brazil is encouraging farmers to prepare for a second crop of corn or cotton to be planted after they harvest their first crop of soybeans. In recent years, a significant trend in Brazilian soybean production has been the adoption of very early maturing soybean varieties. These short-cycle soybeans mature in 90 to 100 days, which is two to three weeks earlier than the traditional varieties. This allows farmers to plant a second crop of safrinha corn or even cotton after the soybeans are harvested. The two principal states where farmers plant a large second crop are Parana and Mato Grosso. In Parana, the second crop is almost exclusively corn. In Mato Grosso, the second crop is primarily corn, but cotton is now becoming a popular option.
The rising popularity of using cotton as a second crop in Mato Grosso is the result of the introduction of early maturing semi-dwarf cotton varieties. These cotton varieties mature in 160 days compared to 180 days for conventional cotton varieties. The shorter growth cycle helps to insure that the crop will not run out of water before the onset of the dry season. The compacted growth period also means that fewer insecticide and fungicide application are needed, thus potentially cutting production costs by as much as 30%.
These new cotton varieties are also grown differently than traditional varieties. The traditional cotton varieties are usually planted in rows that are 76-90 cm apart (30-36 inches), but the new varieties are generally planted in rows that are 38-45 cm apart (15-18 inches). The narrow rows also support higher plant populations of 200-250,000 plants per hectare (80-100,000 plants per acre) compared to the traditional plant populations of 80-110,000 plants per hectare (32-44,000 plants per acre).
There are significant financial incentives for planting a second crop of corn or cotton. The most obvious advantage is the fact that the land is more fully utilized during the growing season. This also spreads out the farmer's costs and risks over two crops instead of one. Additionally, the farmers can usually sell their early-harvested soybeans at a premium because processors and exporters are anxious to get their hands on new crop soybeans and thus are willing to pay a premium for the soybeans. Borrowing costs are also reduced because the farmer uses the sale of his soybeans to finance the cost of the second crop.
There are also some significant challenges in adopting this type of cropping sequence. One of the biggest challenges is being able to harvest soybeans during the month of January, which is usually the peak of the rainy season in Brazil. Extended periods of rain during January can disrupt the entire process and result in lower soybean yields and poor seed quality as well as delaying the planting of the second crop. This type of cropping pattern also requires a much higher lever of knowledge and management skills to make it successful. In spite of these added challenges, more and more Brazilian farmers are adopting this new cropping pattern because they feel the rewards outweigh the risks.