Experts in Holguin for Greater Agricultural Yields
- Written by Germán Veloz Placencia
- Published in Holguin
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Photo: Elder LeyvaDo the ravages of climate change drive to modifying traditional bean planting periods? Experts in Plant Health of the province of Holguin consider that transformations must be assumed in the calendar established for years.
They are based on detailed observations made at the field and supported by the Plant Protection and Signaling and Pest Forecasting department during sowing campaigns and harvests corresponding to the 2015-2018 period. They also took into account the results of surveys applied to producers in the eastern Cuban territory.
It is necessary to obtain greater agricultural yields from the land and crops and this can be one of the ways to contribute to increase production in the country, as the Cuban state allocates each year approximately two billion dollars for food imports, according to public data.
TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE FIELDS AND MINDS
From the observations made it follows that bean planting, which is usually carried out between September and January, should be carried out from October 15 until the end of November in the municipalities of Holguin, Gibara, Rafael Freyre, Banes , Cacocum, Antilla and Calixto Garcia, said Jose Rubio Ventura, director of the Plant Health Department in the territory.
"The municipalities of Moa, Sagua de Tanamo, Frank Pais, Mayari and Cueto would be excluded from the proposed regulation, because our study revealed that the behavior of pests and diseases in those areas was lower than those registered in other areas," he explained.
In the case of producers in the municipalities of Baguanos and Urbano Noris, the optimal period extends from October to December, that is, the traditional stage for those areas.
The changes in the planting patterns of the first seven municipalities mentioned are justified, says Rubio Ventura, due to the rise in temperature, which has exceeded 34 degrees in the years evaluated.
“The systematic stages of drought are linked to such an unfavorable situation, which contributes to the appearance of pests and diseases. All this causes physiological imbalances, which have their manifestations in the crops of beans, due to the loss of leaves and flowers or in early maturity, ” added the specialist.
Based on his research in the field and in laboratories, Yunia Morales Gonzalez, specialist in Entomology and Agricultural Extension, points out that the high temperatures recorded in the years studied accelerate the biological cycles of the whitefly, the Palmi Trips and various types of butterflies transmitters of virosis in bean plantations.
Morales affirmed that the destructive action of the aforementioned pests could be considerably reduced with the planting stage changes suggested.
In the agricultural production cooperative Congreso Campesino en Armas, located in Mallorquin, Velasco, its associates agreed to plant all the beans in October. Its president, the agronomist Leonardo Carralero Torres, said they must remain among the largest producers of grain in the municipality of Gibara.
“We have been part of the monitoring carried out in the area by the specialists of Plant Health and, with the observations made among all, we realized that the sowings of September are not feasible, as well as those of December and until January 15. We conclude that those from October 15 to November 15 provide better results.
Those planting stages carried out until December, the yields did not reach half a ton per hectare,” he described.
