The morning started bright and early with us being on the bus at 9:00 am ready to leave. We drove about an hour on what seemed like some of the better roads in Argentina. We met with Sabastion, a crop consultant, and one of his growers, Martin De Blasi. On this farm they grow corn, soybeans, sunflower and sorghum, and is about 800 hectares, or 2000 acres. De Blasi also buys some cattle to feed out every year, unfortunately he is going to lose money feeding cows this year. When they feed out cows they let them graze on alfalfa and in the pasture, and typically sell the cows around 400 kg or 880 lbs. Also at this farm, they practice no-till to conserve as much water as possible and reduce soil erosion due to the wind. It seems like it is about as windy here as it is back in South Dakota. Erosion is a huge factor because the soil texture is composed of at least 60% sand, 10% clay, and 30% lime.
Sebastion and De Blasi took us out to show us some of De Blasi's crops and cattle. He rotated between corn and soybeans on some of his better fields. The yields of the better fields are around 2 ton/hectare for soybeans and 8 ton/hectare for corn. They apply about 100 kg/ha of urea and 50 kg/ha of phosphorus to their corn acres. Down here they do not fertilize their beans.
Following the tour of the land, we arrived at De Blasi's home and were introduced to the rest of his family--Maria Emilia De Blasi (sister), Alberta De Blasi (father), Susy De Blasi (mother), and his three children. After being greeted by everyone, lunch was served to the group and consisted of sausage on a bun, condiments, and a drink. Everyone was offered a bowl of freshly cut fruit, as a desert. The group then sat around relaxing and conversing with all of the De Blasi's and Sebastian. We are very thankful for their hospitality, kindness, and educational information.
Our next stop was at Cereales Quemu. This place is a Dekalb seed dealer and Monsanto chemical dealer. They also sell fertilizer, purchase grain, consult on 25,000 ha (61,750 acres), and even purchase cattle for slaughter. It was interesting how many different entities they were involved in. They operate 3 different elevators, to help with efficiencies. We toured one elevator that was very similar to a common grain elevator in the US, but looked to be 50-100 years old. After the tour of the elevator we went and looked at soybeans, sunflowers, and corn. The soybeans were planted in 14 inch rows, at a population similar to the US. Also, the soybeans are a 4.4 maturity, which is really long. The maturity of the corn is 150 days, which is also very long compared to the US. The reason for the longer maturity is the longer growing season they have in Argentina.
After our successful day of tours, we took the ride back to Santa Rosa and got dropped off at the town square. Here we were able to do some shopping and eat supper. We all made it back to the hotel and now it is time for bed, as we are preparing to leave in the morning. Goodnight from Santa Rosa.
Shane Runge and Jeff Miiller
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