In semi-dry areas of the Cauca River Valley, irrigation is essential to ensure the development and production of sugarcane, while in humid areas it is used to supply moisture deficits that may occur during dry periods.
In 95% of the cultivated area in the Cauca river valley, supplementary irrigation is applied and in 80% there is some type of drainage infrastructure to evacuate the excesses.
In the region, sugarcane requires between 1100 and 1300 mm of water during a 13-month growing cycle. The annual multi-annual rainfall ranges between 800 mm and 2400 mm.
According to the requirements of the productive sector, Cenicaña's research in the area of water management is currently focused on the following topics: Irrigation programming systems; water measurement; irrigation application methods y sewer system.
