NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR WHEAT - EMBRAPA
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Trigo, BR 285, Km 174, Caixa Postal 451, 99001-970, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Brazilian wheat consumption is nearly 10 x 10^6^ t/year. The 2003 national wheat crop represented an increase of 90 %, relative to the previous crop. Influenced by policy changes favoring exports and hindering imports, the production started to have prices with positive effects on Brazilian agrobusiness (P. M. Rabelo, http://conab.gov.br). Production was a result of a 20 % increase in the cultivated area and of a productivity gain of 49.5 % relative to the previous year. Farmers were stimulated by good prices in 2002 and by industrial partnerships. This progress was due to the reliability of research recommendations and a favorable climate. In the crop estimate for December 2004, CONAB (Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento; National Company of Provisioning), projected wheat production for the 2004-05 crop at 6,021.6 x 10^3^ tons (Table 1). The states with the highest grain yield production were Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, although effected by adverse climatic conditions, still had good crops. Because of the 2004-05 crop, the national wheat sector for the second consecutive time will supply 60 % of the domestic needs. Although this production benefits the trade balance by reducing imports, it increases commercialization and depresses prices for farmers. The state of Rio Grande do Sul produces a surplus of 1.5 x 10^6^ tons of soft wheat that would be consumed in northeast Brazil. The high cost of freight and/or the lack of competitive prices for shipping (coastal traffic) represent the biggest problems that hurt Brazilian wheat commercialization. In addition, Argentina, which consumes only 5 x 10^6^ of the 15 x 10^6^ ton annual production, depresses the Brazilian wheat market with the availability for export of a volume of wheat nearly equal to the total Brazilian consumption. Imports are facilitated with extensive benefits that keep the Brazilian producer from competing equally. The Federal Government, seeking to support to national production, made available to the market some means of support for commercial producers (AGF, Contract of Option, and PEP) that can lead to the recovery of some profit. However, some measures seeking to correct structural problems, must be implemented soon or a permanent government intervention will be needed. The Brazilian wheat production needs special attention from outside the farm, where problems in infrastructure and transport are responsible for establishing limits for the sustained growth of the wheat chain sector (http://www.conab.govbr/download/safra/safra20042005Lev02.pdf).
| State | Production (1,000 t) | Grain yield (kg/ha) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | |
| Parana | 2,954.0 | 2,829.9 | 2,500 | 2,250 |
| Santa Catarina | 159.5 | 185.22 | 2,510 | 2,300 |
| Rio Grande do Sul | 2,346.3 | 2,306.0 | 2,250 | 2,100 |
| Total for southern Brazil | 5,459.8 | 5,530.1 | 2,482 | 2,187 |
| Minas Gerais | 30.8 | 61.0 | 4,400 | 4,450 |
| Sao Paulo | 104.7 | 104.7 | 2,2000 | 2,429 |
| Total for southeastern Brazil | 135.5 | 191.0 | 2,482 | 2,842 |
| Maro Grosso | - | 1.7 | - | 3,300 |
| Mato Grosso do Sul |
184.1 |
204.0 |
1,980 |
1,500 |
| Goias | 66.4 | 86.8 | 3,950 | 4,000 |
| Distrito Federal | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4,600 | 4,600 |
| Total for west central Brazil | 256.0 | 298.0 | 2,306 | 1,870 |
| Bahia |
- |
2.5 |
- |
5,000 |
| Total for northeast Brazil |
- |
2.5 |
- |
5,000 |
| Total for all Brazil | 5,851.3 | 6,021.6 | 2,375 | 2,185 |
L.J.A. Del Duca, C.N A. Sousa, P.L. Scheeren, A. Nascimento Júnior, E. Caierão, M. Sóe Silva, R.S. Fontaneli, H.P. Santos, J.B. Lhamby, O. Carvalho, J.B. Marques, A.G. Linhares, L. Eichelberger, O. Rodrigues, G.R. Cunha, E.M. Guarienti, M.Z. Miranda, L.M. Costamilan, M.I.P.M. Lima, M.S. Chaves, W.C. da Luz, and A. Prestes.
The wheat cultivar BRS Guatambu was released in 2004 for southern Brazil, seeking to supply an alternative for early green cover of soil in no-tillage systems and favor the crop-cattle integration. BRS Guatambu was tested for double purpose (forage production and grain) and showed adaptation to that practice in trials sown in Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná in 2001-03. Developed at Embrapa Trigo from the backcross 'Amigo/2*BR 23', the cultivar is semi-late and medium to high in stature. BRS Guatambu is resistant to natural dehiscence of the spike, moderately susceptible to lodging, resistant in the field to mildew, and moderately resistant to resistant to soil aluminum conditions. BRS Guatambu is susceptible to scab, tan spot, and glume blotch when artificially inoculated. Seedling reaction in both the greenhouse and field indicate APR to leaf rust. BRS Guatambu is classified preliminarily as a soft wheat for use in crackers, cookies, sweet shop products, pizzas, fresh pasta, and in mixes with wheat for bread and/or domestic use.
L.J.A. Del Duca, C.N.A. Sousa, P.L. Scheeren, A. Nascimento Júnior, E. Caierão, M. Sóe Silva, R.S. Fontaneli, H.P. Santos, J.B. Lhamby, A.G. Linhares, O. Carvalho, J.B. Marques, L. Eichelberger, O. Rodrigues, G.R. Cunha, E.M. Guarienti, M.Z. Miranda, L.M. Costamilan, M.I.P.M. Lima, M.S. Chaves, W.C. da Luz, and A. Prestes.
The wheat cultivar BRS Tarumã was released in Rio Grande do Sul in 2004 to promote technology integrating cropcattle production. Income also is anticipated from dry matter transformed into meat, milk, or wool providing flexibility and sustainability to the croping system. Developed by Embrapa Trigo, BRS Tarumã was derived from the single cross 'Century/B 35' made in Passo Fundo in 1990. The cultivar is semi-late after early sowing (it was selected by looking for a late-early cycle with a heading period longer than the conventional early cultivars) and low stature. BRS Tarumã is resistant in the field to powdery mildew under natural infection, moderately resistant to scab under inoculation and soilborne mosaic virus in the field, moderately susceptible to tan spot and glume blotch, preliminarily classified as resistant to frost in the vegetative phase, and moderately resistant to sprouting and BYDV. In spite of its seedling susceptibility to the group of leaf rust races, BRS Tarumã consistently has been resistant under field conditions under high inoculum pressure over the years. Seedling reaction under both greenhouse and field conditions indicate resistance is expressed in the adult plant. BRS Tarumã is resistant to spike shattering and moderately resistant to soil aluminum toxicity and to lodging under normal soil fertility. Tested in early sowing for double purpose (forage production and grain) in Rio Grande do Sul and south-central Paraná in 2001 and 2003, BRS Tarumã produced 1,381 kg/ha (one clipping) and 2,075 kg/ha (two clippings) of dry matter, 19 % and 23 % better, respectively, than that of the common black oat (dry matter check). In those treatments, in the average from different sites varied by year. Tested in these same places and period, grain-yield averages were 2,996 kg/ha (without clipping), 2,568 kg/ha (1 clipping), and 2,432 kg/ha (2 clippings). outyielding by 11 %, and 31 %, treatments with one and two clippings, respectively, the average of the two better wheat checks (from among BR 23, BR 35, CEP 24, CEP 27, and OCEPAR 21). BRS Tarumã is classified as a bread wheat for baking and pasta.