The Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) has reported extremely low temperatures in the Maule region of Chile, reaching -6.4 degrees Celsius. This poses a considerable threat to vegetable and forage crops vital to the region's agricultural economy. Frost can have devastating effects on crops, causing irreversible damage and significantly reducing agricultural production.
The INIA agrometeorological network, which has 391 stations throughout the country, including 33 in the Maule region, provides crucial information on current weather conditions.
Given this situation, the Ministry of Agriculture together with INIA has issued a series of recommendations to protect crops from frost:
- Greenhouses and micro-tunnels should remain closed at night and during the early hours of the day to conserve heat near the plants.
- Producers should renew the indoor air, preferably during the afternoons, to avoid accumulating moisture and possible diseases.
- They should also use thermal covers or meshes on outdoor crops to protect them from low temperatures.
- Finally, they should avoid tasks that involve moving the soil near growing plants, such as transplants or mounding soil around the base of the plants, especially in the coldest hours, to avoid affecting the root zone.
Source: redagricola.com