Within the framework of the 34th Congress of the Argentine Association of No-Till Farmers (AAPRESID), held in the city of Rosario, the company Bunge Argentina delivered the technical talk “Intensifying the rotation with canola, safflower and camelina.” The event brought together producers, advisors and specialists to analyze progress in incorporating winter oilseeds as a tool to improve soil health, diversify agricultural systems and capture new commercial opportunities in the global market.
Horticulture
The session was opened by Jorge Bassi, Marketing and New Business Director of Bunge Argentina, who stressed that any transformation in the production model requires close collaboration with those who take the risk on the ground:
“We launch plans and programs, but the one who is in the field and risks the capital is the producer. That is why everything we do starts from working together with them and generating tools that allow them to produce more and, at the same time, do so in an increasingly sustainable way,” Bassi highlighted.
Replacing fallow with a profitable crop that adds carbon to the soil
Bassi explained that four years ago Bunge began developing an intensification proposal based on winter oilseed crops. The central premise is to transform periods of bare soil or fallow into an active productive stage.
“Intensifying agriculture allows us to generate a double impact: replace a fallow period with a crop that generates income and at the same time leave more carbon in the soil, protecting its structure,” he stated.
This vision is framed within the global agenda of decarbonization and energy transition. Argentina has the competitive advantage of temperate winters that allow the production of adapted oilseeds, positioning the agricultural sector as a key supplier of raw materials for reducing emissions in transport.
The opportunity of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
One of the drivers of this demand is the growth of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), the sustainable fuel for aviation that requires low-carbon-footprint oils with traceability and certification from the origin.
In this regard, Bassi stressed that to supply these demanding markets, production must be developed under certified rotation schemes. In 2026, Bunge’s program reached 160,000 certified hectares among canola, safflower and camelina in Argentina, consolidating a concrete path of value addition.
Field experiences: the testimony of technical advisors
During the specialists’ panel, various advisors shared success stories according to the agroecological particularities of each region:
Safflower: resilience against drought in the north
Agr. Eng. Miguel Kolar, from AGRO Cotton Grupo Linke, related the experience started in 2024 to face complex climatic campaigns. He explained that safflower made it possible to keep maize within the rotation and achieve efficient water use. Currently, the group sows about 15,000 hectares of safflower out of a total of 20,000 productive hectares, making it a pillar of its agricultural model.
Canola in the central zone: loose soil and up to 30 quintals
Agr. Eng. Matías Taravella, advisor to Jakas Kokic Ivancich SA, shared the results of three consecutive campaigns with canola. He detailed that they achieved yields of up to 30 quintals per hectare with direct harvesting in areas accustomed to long fallows. In addition to the economic contribution, he highlighted that canola leaves the soil in optimal infiltration conditions for subsequent crops.
Camelina in the southeast of Buenos Aires province: second-crop soybean with first-crop yields
Agr. Eng. Pablo Calviño explained that camelina occupies a time window that previously went unused. Its incorporation makes it possible to plant a second-crop soybean achieving yields very similar to a first-crop one, with an establishment cost equivalent to maintaining a fallow, but generating income and advancing the soybean planting date toward the end of November.
With the support of these concrete experiences, Bunge reaffirmed at AAPRESID its commitment to the evolution toward more intensive, efficient and sustainable agricultural systems, capable of responding to the demand of international markets that require food and energy with a lower environmental footprint.