First tests with Agricultural sensors / probe for pistachio in Castilla la Mancha , to assess the climate and the adaptation of pistachio to this Community.
Between 1999–2005 at the La Entresierra Experimental Farm in Ciudad Real dependent on the El Chaparrillo Agrarian Center, a trial of Kerman pistachio grafted in p. Terabinthus or commonly known as Cornicabra and p. Atlantica for dry land. Ideal for Castilla la Mancha.
The results of the study were very satisfactory, because as we have already highlighted in another article the area of Castilla la Mancha adapts both in climate and in the field to this crop.
Cuenca and Guadalajara are the exceptions, where pistachios are somewhat weather-conditioned.
Ciudad Real, Toledo and Albacete stand out, as they adapt perfectly to pistachios and both in irrigated and dry land, production is very high and the number of hectares grows year after year.
Agricultural sensor / probe tests for pistachio and controlled irrigation
The pistachio in this region does not require irrigation in the first years of growth.
The climate of Castilla la Mancha, as we can see on the maps, is ideal in hot hours, guaranteeing the thermal integral of the tree. But the contribution of water is very important in the flowering and formation of the fruit. In general, the weather in spring and summer is dry.
When production begins around the seventh year is when the supply of water improves its quality and quantity.
Plantae offers the possibility of having an irrigation controlled by agricultural sensors / probe for pistachio :
- Humidity sensors del subsuelo.
- Sensor / probe for subfloor temperature and ambient temperature.
- Flow meter to measure the amount of flow we use to irrigate.
All wirelessly and with real-time readings from your mobile or tablet. The sensor tests have been a success. Sensor / probe precision farming is bringing the ability to control agricultural crops to the field.
Favorable factors for pistachio production
The favorable factors that stand out in the three provinces are:
- They have around 1000 hours of cold per year . The cold hours are necessary when it is at rest. The pistachio tree in winter needs the cold to winter. It is in the spring when its development begins.
When the month of April arrives the late frosts are very harmful, in these provinces they are scarce.
- An average annual temperature of 16 degrees . In the growth, flowering and production phase it needs a favorable climate.
Flowers suffer if spring is cold and in this area it is usually temperate. Pistachios flower approximately from March 15 to April 10 and the flower lasts until the end of this month.
Pistachios need a lot of heat in summer for the fruit to ripen and this is characteristic of the three provinces. - It is a dry climate that benefits the tree, especially to avoid disease. Excessive rains in spring cause the flower to be lost.
- The humid zones are scarce and this favors the little appearance of fungi.
Maps to mark the ideal areas
As we can see graphically in the maps, the three provinces of Toledo, Ciudad Real and Albacete meet all the conditions of suitability to grow pistachio, while Cuenca is conditioned by certain variable factors that can lead to late frosts and rains that increase the humidity index. Guadalajara is the one that offers the least climatic conditions for its cultivation.
In suitable areas and during the flowering and fruit growth season, irrigation is favorable, although pistachios are adapted to dry conditions.
Irrigation must be drip and controlled. Plantae did experiments on the Chaparrillo farm with humidity and temperature sensors, the quality and quantity of fruit increased considerably.
In Castilla la Mancha they are betting on organic pistachio controlled by agricultural sensors / probes
For a product to be ecological it has to meet a series of requirements such as
- The plantation must respect the environment, with controlled irrigation that takes advantage of every drop of water. This is what Plantae offers with its sensors / probe for pistachios, with the control of humidity and temperature of the plantation
- Avoid phytosanitary products that are harmful to health. At this point, the conductivity measurement is important to avoid accumulation of salts.
- Quickly dry the fruit, either by hot air or in meshes that allow air to pass through and always at the right temperature. This favors the flavor and quality of the pistachio.
This Community is committed to the production of pistachio. In 2016 the Association for the Promotion of Pistachio in Castilla-La Mancha was created.
The objective they propose is to create a registered quality brand that represents the pistachio of this region. Always under certain regulations.
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