According to Argentina’s National Institute for Agricultural Technology, INTA, between 15 and 17% more tomatoes were planted, while less acreage was given to the cultivation of garlic and unions.
Key to the tomato’s success is that an increasing number of growers put in a request for drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation. This technique pushes up efficiency by as much as 50%.
Drip irrigation is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants. It is done through narrow tubes that deliver water directly to the base of the plant. Of one 100 litres irrigated this way, 90% actually reaches the root of the plant, as opposed to 55% in normal irrigation.
“This season we expect higher yields as drip irrigation is expanded,” says Cristian Ferrer, head of logistics at the firm Frutos de Cuyo SA. (Arcor). “I think we are looking at 500 to 600 ha.”
Source: Diariodecuyo