Farmer Diaries (Brazil): Fires Cause Major Cane Area Losses

In this series, we’re following farmers around the world.
We’ll look at what they’re up to on the farm, hear their concerns, and celebrate their triumphs.
Here’s the link to the farmers’ bios in case you missed them.

Are You Seeing Sprouting Failures in Cane Fields That Were Hit by Fire and Frost? If So, How Bad is the Damage?

We unfortunately lost an entire farm to fire as the ratoon cane did not sprout. The cane was already damaged by two frosts, and then fire and severe drought meant the crop failed; less than 20% sprouted in some areas.

We’re carrying out a mapping survey using drones to assess the damage in the ratoon cane that’s still there.

With La Niña Now Confirmed in Brazil, How Do You See Your Next Cane Crop Performing?

For us, we don’t yet know how La Niña will impact our sugarcane as it’s harvested at the start of the crop. We’re more worried about how it’ll impact our soybean, as it could directly impact the grain filling stage.

Our main concern with our sugarcane is that yields are as strong as they can be, come harvest. The harvest should start in mid-April and run until June.

Will You Adopt a Different Strategy So You Can Mitigate the Effects of Lower Rainfall in the Coming Months?

I’ve decided to use more foliar fertilizers to try and stimulate as much cane yield development as possible.

We’re also being more careful with our herbicide application. We had serious problems with pre-emerging herbicides in May and June this year. They ended up hindering cane development in some areas.

Have Are You Navigating Your Way Through the Fertilizer Crisis?

I’ve already bought my phosphates and chemical inputs, but nitrogen prices remain very high, so I’m holding off there.