T
he Brazilian Agricultural Re-
search Corporation (Embrapa)
launched two varieties of rice
in the season. The BRS A701
CL is the most recent, signed
by Embrapa Temperate Climate, in Pelo-
tas (RS), with support from Embrapa Rice
and Beans, in Santo Antônio de Goiás
(GO). The variety contains a gene that is
resistant to the imidazolines herbicides
group (CL), focused on the control of red
rice and other weeds, and was developed
in partnership with Basf, which detains
the rights over the Clearfield technology.
According to researcher Ariano Martins
de Magalhães Júnior, from the genetic en-
hancement program of Embrapa Temper-
ateClimate, cultivar BRSA701CLwas devel-
oped to combine the desirable agronomic
traits of the BRS 7 Taim with resistance to
herbicide Kifix (imazapyr + imazapic) of the
cultivar Cypress CL. The variety has a medi-
umcycle (130 days fromemergence tomat-
uration), high productive potential, resis-
tance to lodging and to grain shedding, and
moderately resistant to iron toxicity. Aver-
age productivity of the BRS A701 CL, in cul-
tivation and use trials ((VCU) in the State of
RioGrande do Sul, was 8.6 tons per hectare.
The industrial performance, under nor-
mal environment conditions and field
management, could reach 64% of unbro-
ken polished grains with a performance
of 72%, and the weight of one thousand
grains is 24.45 grams. It is moderately re-
sistant to all major diseases in irrigated rice
fields, like leaf and collar rice blast, brown
spot, but there is moderate susceptibility
to narrow brown leaf spot.
EASTERN TASTE
Embrapa is also
investing in genetic enhancement of rice to
meet the needs ofmarket niches. Two years
ago, it launched the BRS AG, or “giant rice”,
for the animal feed market and, especial-
ly, the production of ethanol from rice. With
the economic crisis and the rising cost of
credit lines, no mills were established, the
crops suffered frustrations and therewas no
demand for the grain, which continues on
the portfolio, waiting for opportunities. This
variety is not for human consumption.
In the second half of 2016, Embrapa
Temperate Climate, once again with sup-
port from the unit in Goiás, launched the
cultivar BRS 358, of a short grain, geared
towards an increasing market in Brazil: the
Japanese cuisine. “The demand for special
varieties has been rising. There is demand
for them”, explains researcher Ariano Mar-
tins de Magalhães Júnior, from Embrapa
Temperate Climate. The grain contains a
low content of amylose, a trait that makes
it “sticky” once boiled.
Onmany
fronts
Embrapa is set to produce new cultivars for niche markets
AgulhinhaorfortheJapanesecuisine,
marketisgearedtowardstheproduction
andconsumptionofricevarietiesthat
satisfyconsumersofallwalksoflife
Brazilian industries import grains and
seeds fromAsia to fulfill demandandsupply
the supermarkets in Brazil. In the fields, the
imported cultivars show low performance
rates due to climate and soil characteristics.
Embrapa’s cultivar does not pose this prob-
lem: it has the traits of the Japanese “grain”
and is adapted to the Brazilian climate.
In the 2016/17 growing season, the first
210 hectares were cultivated, with seeds and
exclusive production by company Josapar,
which detains the “Tio João” brand, among
others. In 2016, when agulhinha prices
peaked, a 50-kg sack fetched R$ 50. Because
short kernel rice was in short supply, a sack
for the special culinary purposes fetched as
much as R$ 100, twice as much. On average,
thevalueofthistypeofriceremainsat30%to
50%above the commonvarieties.
In the field, average productivity is
similar to agulhinha rice, about 150 sacks
per hectare (7.5 thousand kilograms), but
the industry pays the equivalent to 1.5
times more than for common rice, which
is equal to 225 sacks of fine long rice, on
average. The limiting factor of the BRS 358
is the seed database of other types of rice,
which makes it necessary to cultivate it in
“clean” areas, that is to say, where the cere-
al has never been cultivated. Another alter-
native could lie in rotationwith soybeans in
lowlands. Other novelties are on the way.
Magalhães Júnior anticipates that Embra-
pa is going to work towards transforming
all the varieties into the CL system and is
also going to develop cultivars for market
niches, like colored, aromatic and Arborio
rice for the Italian cuisine.
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