EN 
PT_BR 
With the theme “Technologies for the Implementation and Management of Corn and Grass Cultivars in Cerrado Soils”, the tenth field day organized by the Phytotechnics Study Group (Gfeit), of the Federal University of São João del-Rei, Sete Lagoas Campus, brought together hundreds of students, producers, technicians and agribusiness professionals this Friday, the 28th, in Sete Lagoas-MG.
Stations were set up on the UFSJ Campus to present innovative technologies and showcases, such as Btmax corn, a transgenic corn cultivar developed by Embrapa Milho e Sorgo in partnership with Helix, a company in the Agroceres group. Btmax corn is highly effective against the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), considered the main pest of corn crops, and the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis).
“The first transgenic corn event developed entirely in Brazil through a national public-private partnership 100% shows how the country has the potential to develop highly disruptive technologies,” emphasized Sara Rios, deputy head of Technology Transfer at Embrapa Corn and Sorghum. The processes for commercial release of the Btmax event in other countries have already been initiated by Helix. In Brazil, the companies Santa Helena Sementes and Biomatrix, from the Agroceres Group, commercialize corn cultivars for silage purposes with the Btmax transgenic event.
During the opening of the event, representatives of the organizing companies emphasized the importance of strengthening the teaching, research and extension axis in the Central region of Minas Gerais. “This meeting brings up for discussion a highly strategic topic for the development of Minas Gerais, which is corn farming and livestock farming,” said Emater-MG Infrastructure Director Vitório Alves Freitas. “We need to stimulate the development of agriculture, a sector highly responsible for Brazil’s trade balance,” reinforced Councilman Caio Valace.
