The current moment that the Colombian sugar sector is going through, threatened by external factors such as the climate and actions that put its competitiveness at risk, makes it imperative to resort to mechanisms and technologies that can be controlled.
The current moment that the Colombian sugar sector is going through, threatened by external factors such as the climate and actions that put its competitiveness at risk, makes it imperative to resort to mechanisms and technologies that can be controlled.
Some of those controllable threats caused by biotic factors are pests and diseases that affect the crop. Biological control is used against pests, whose effectiveness depends on its use jointly by mills and growers. Genetic resistance is used for diseases, but varieties do not necessarily have immunity.
For this reason, the production of healthy and genetically pure seed and its phytosanitary diagnosis are essential to achieve high productions, since a diseased crop puts production, neighboring fields and new varieties at risk. This is key, because the sector sows only once for several successive harvests.
This situation also offers the opportunity to use technologies that lead to greater efficiencies in production processes. In this sense, the technologies related to the efficient use of water have been validated, are available and both the field professionals of the mills and the producers have been trained for their adoption.
In these circumstances, the slogan is to innovate in efforts to improve productivity and counteract environmental threats, and produce healthy seedbeds and permanently monitor commercial plantations, because it is not enough to plant varieties adapted for each environment and carry out adequate agronomic management. Cenicaña staff is attentive to support agribusiness in these actions.
Álvaro Amaya Estevez
CEO, Cenicaña
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