Agroclimatic zoning of off-season (safrinha) corn for the first ten days of February in Goiás, Brazil

Abstract

Through maps, agroclimatic zoning can help us understand the guidelines for the most suitable locations for sowing, minimizing risks of produce loss due to climatic adversities. The aim of the present study is to develop an agroclimatic zoning for the cultivation of a non-irrigated off-season (safrinha) corn in the state of Goiás, sown in the first ten days of February. The methodological steps were the delimitation of the representative bands of the climatic requirements for the crop; the spatialization of the climatic elements in the region; the spatial reclassification of climatic elements based on the climatic requirements for the crop; elaboration of the agroclimatic zoning map. Average, minimum, and maximum air temperature, accumulated precipitation, actual crop evapotranspiration and relative humidity of the air registered between February and July for the years 2013 to 2017 were used. The most suitable areas for the cultivation of the non-irrigated off-season corn sown in the first ten days of February in Goiás established by the agroclimatic zoning are concentrated in the South-Southwest and Northwest regions. The expressive presence of Latosol soil class and the proximity of the values of the climatic elements accumulated precipitation, temperature and altitude, which are proper for the development of the off-season corn, favour suitability of the areas.

Keywords

• Rain. Farmers. Maps.