Innovation in rain monitoring

A contribution to the sustainability of the sugarcane agro-industrial sector.

Introduction

Sugarcane production in the Cauca River Valley is a highly complex process that depends on the precise management of various climatic factors, with rainfall being one of the most determining. Mills and farmers record rainfall data with conventional methods and tools, to be used in the daily planning of work in their fields.

Cenicaña has more than ten million daily and hourly weather records collected through the Automated Meteorological Network (RMA) of the sugarcane agroindustry, which has been operating since 1993 (Cenicaña, 2003). Thanks to specialized services in agrometeorology and analysis, Cenicaña has managed to characterize the region in eight climatic zones, which allows for more efficient implementation of site-specific management (Chica Ramírez, H. A, & Peña Quiñónez, AJ 2003). This knowledge translates into key tools such as forecasts, bulletins and specialized climate analysis that support decision-making in the agricultural sector.