Can farmers grow a second crop of soybeans in Brazil?
Farmers in Brazil do have a double crop system, but it’s very different than in the U.S. or in Argentina. In Brazil, the second crop planted is corn, which in Portuguese is called the safrinha (little harvest). The two main states for safrinha corn production are Mato Grosso and Parana. In both states if a farmer is planning to plant a second crop of corn, they start out by planting very early maturing soybeans. If these early maturing soybeans are planted in late September or early October, they will be ready to harvest by late January or early February. As the combine goes through the fields harvesting the early maturing soybeans, it is followed by a no-till planter putting in the safrinha corn crop. Sometimes the corn is planted within minutes of when the soybeans were harvested. There are advantages and disadvantages of this type of double crop system. On the positive side is the fact that the farmer can harvest two crops a year from the same field. The safrinha corn crop can be a
