Cenicaña promotes site-specific agriculture in the sucro-energy agribusiness of the Cauca River Valley as a strategy to develop the genetic potential of sugarcane varieties in different growing environments. The objective is to increase productivity in the field and deliver a high quality raw material to factories. In this sense, irrigation and fertilization are factors that require maximum control from the farmers and mills.
Drip irrigation is characterized by frequent and controlled application of water and nutrients in a localized way, directly in the radical zone of the plants, thanks to which it is recognized as the most efficient system to increase the productivity of crops with lower expenses of water and fertilizers. In the Cauca River Valley, the sugarcane production system with drip irrigation has been established on more than 4000 hectares and productivity has increased in most places; In Piedmont environments, increases in production have been achieved up to 40%.
The book Drip irrigation in the cultivation of sugarcane It includes five chapters of technical content enriched with illustrations and photographs, in which water-soil relations, system description, planning, hydraulic design and fertirrigation are presented. In each one, the knowledge about the operating conditions of the system, its components, advantages and limitations, issues that must be in the domain of those involved in the management of this technology. More than an irrigation solution, the drip system must be seen as a crop production system under highly controlled conditions and in line with site-specific agriculture.
Álvaro Amaya Estevez
CEO, Cenicaña
Magnificent to achieve a desired harvest