First Dry Sowing Workshop in the Ebro Delta

On August 30th, the first-ever Demonstration Day of Dry Sowing in the Ebro Delta was held in the Ebro Delta area, organized by Ebrecultius SL., a company that distributes fertilizers and plant protection products on the left bank of the Ebro River (the area affected by the Apple Snail plague) in collaboration with the companies it distributes to in its area of operation: BASF, EDYPRO biotechnology, ICL, RiceTec, Sipcam, Maschio Gaspardo, Gombau Fertilizers.

Sowing is a technique widely used in the USA, South American countries, and in Italy as well, where a significant part of the rice-growing area is sown dry.

Since 2014 EDYPRO Having a thorough understanding of this technique through rice cultivation in Uruguay, he has developed:

THE DRY SOWING MANUAL.

This Manual from EDYPRO We have disseminated it to our main Distributors in different parts of Spain and now we are very proud to see how this technique has been implemented in Extremadura (Vegas Altas), Girona (Pals), and in the case of the Delta on the Left Bank.

Carlos Fornos, the Technical Director and Manager of Ebrecultius From the outset, I enthusiastically embraced this technique to coexist with the Apple Snail. Our observation is that the Apple Snail is very prevalent in the growing region of southeastern Uruguay (Laguna Merín), and with dry seeding, the problem is nonexistent; it is cultivated perfectly and without any difficulty. Last year, in 2015, Carlos Fornos ventured to sow some of his fields using direct seeding and has found the perfect method for managing the crop and its specific characteristics. This year, the sowing volume has been across entire farms, with excellent results in weed management through the application of pre-emergent herbicides after sowing.

And then it learned to use biotechnology EDYPRO as a bioregulator of rice cultivation EDYFRUIT RICE.

Today's event showcased dry-sown rice fields using tillage and direct seeding into the stubble. Attendees also had the opportunity to discuss crop management practices that concerned them.

• Damage caused by pests, such as the Apple Snail and Chironomids, and by birds is minimized – given that the most sensitive period for rice is spent without water, which is the medium that attracts these natural enemies of the crop.
• Weed management with the application of pre-emergence herbicides allows for the control of weeds before they become established, giving added advantages to rice plants.
• The ease of the treatments, most of which are carried out before flooding, and the farmer can work more comfortably using rubber wheels (wide tires).

The great importance of the innovations presented at the event was confirmed by the great interest shown by farmers, the questions and comments they made during the day.

On the field route we visited a plot of the Bomba variety sown in dry conditions and treated with EDYFRUIT RICE in the 1st post-emergence herbicide treatment.

As you can see in the photos below, the treated field has a much higher ear density than the plot of the same variety, also sown in dry conditions. The crop treated with EDYFRUIT RICE It creates a feeling of a strong and consistent crop, with a promise of a very good harvest.

We thank all the members of the Ebrecultius SL team for the magnificent organization and the introduction of innovations for the improvement of the rice sector.

P.S. If you need the Dry Sowing Manual, please request it through our Web page and we'll send it to them.