Aviação agrícola no cultivo do arroz irrigado em Itaqui - RS

Abstract

In the search for higher productivity and lower costs, agricultural production incorporates technologies. In the case of the agrochemical application system, one system that has been adopted is the replacement of tractors by aerial systems and this is of paramount importance for the management of irrigated rice crops on the western border of Rio Grande do Sul. In this context, the The general objective of this work is to recognize the importance of agricultural aviation in the cultivation of irrigated rice in the municipality of Itaqui - RS. The methodology is based on a case study, therefore, there will be a literature review and data research in companies specialized in agricultural aviation, in the municipality of Itaqui. Subsequently, the analysis of the theoretical framework and the data collected will be carried out. With the analysis of the data it was observed that the applications of agrochemicals, with emphasis on the use of technologies in the aerial application, shows that it has implications for the productivity, competitiveness and the sustainability of the irrigated rice crop in the municipality of Itaqui. In contrast to the higher cost of aerial spraying compared to land spraying, aerial application is compensated by the faster speed of spraying, execution in soaked soil conditions and reduction of production losses that occur in rice cultivation due to the mixing caused by the passage tractor wheels in the case of land spraying. However, the comparison of technical efficacy in controlling pests, diseases or weeds between both techniques depends on the conditions of the application sites. Therefore, it was observed that agricultural aviation is of paramount importance for the cultivation of rice and that the use of aerial application has enabled greater productivity and has helped to maintain the region as one of the largest in the production of irrigated rice in Brazil. As a result, the number of companies in the agricultural aviation area, as well as the number of airplanes, has increased over the years, following the cultivation of irrigated rice in the region.