Anuário Brasileiro do Arroz 2011 - Unemat

Inor Ag. Assmann
86
Plenty of options
New rice varieties offer producers better
kernels and improved agronomic quality
The rice farming world has gained lots of allies over the
past months with the launching of different varieties by
several research institutions. They are supposed to excel in
productivity, resistance to pest and weeds, among other attributes.
Company that pioneered the introduction of hybrid
rice seed in South America, Rice Tec launched the RT 5310 CL
hybrid in 2011, specifically for the State of Santa Catarina.
According to trade and marketing manager, Hélvio Missau,
besides the good kernel quality and high productivity rates,
the new option is more resistant to lodging. Its commercial
use has been scheduled for the 2011/12 crop.
Other noteworthy varieties launched by the company include
Avaxi CL, now for five years in the market, and Inov
CL. The former is very popular with those growers who are
interested in high productivity rates, control over red rice
and adaptability to moderate climate zones. Average yields
reach 11 to 12 thousand kilos per hectare in commercial
rice fields. The Inov CL variety may even outstrip the Avaxi
CL in yield and kernel quality, with 60% to 62% of unbroken
kernels. According to Missau, demand for both hybrids is on
the rise. For the coming crop, it is estimated that the two varieties
will account for 8% to 10% of the total market in Rio
Grande do Sul, compared to the present share of 3% to 4%.
The rice industries trades in 2011 the kernels for the first
crop of the BRS Cirad 302 variety, a result of a partnership
between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
(Embrapa) and the Center for International Cooperation
in Agronomic Research (Cirad). Over the 2010/11 season,
Embrapa and seed companies offered a limited amount of
seed (for an area of 350 hectares), for the rice growers to
learn about the new material, evaluate its performance and
get familiar with the new variety. For the 2011/12 crop year,
the seed will be available to the growers in Rio Grande do
Sul, as of September. This variety makes a difference in that
it is resistant to lodging, pests and diseases that affect rice
fields.
The kernels of the hybrid recommended for Rio Grande do
Sul are graded as type 1, highly valued by consumers, and
62% of unbroken kernels after processing. With average yield
of 11 thousand kilos per hectare, in the Western Frontier