Drip irrigation is the way to transform the Brazilian hinterland into the “orchard of the world”

If fruit growing is “a restoration of paradise”, as professor José Luiz Tejon wrote on his blog, then allow me to say that the hinterland is a little piece of the garden of Eden. Did I say little piece? For now! The fruit growing agribusiness is faced with an open sea of ​​opportunities, both internal and external.

Brazil is one of the largest fruit producers in natura of the world. We have a large domestic market with potential for growth, as we consume far below the amount of fruit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), and we have a huge external market in which we only participate in approximately 1% (around US$1,0, XNUMX billion annually).

These are some of the reasons to believe that we will be the “orchard of the world”, as the Brazilian Association of Fruit and Derivatives Exporters (ABRAFRUTAS) describes. And we are not even considering that there is a diversity of exotic fruits that can be explored, such as Umbu (or Imbu, if you prefer), from the Caatinga. The fruit is sweet and sour at the same time, originating from the Umbuzeiro, “the sacred tree of the backlands”.

However, these are fruit growing protagonists that are yet to come. Today, we have some stars who are already very successful abroad. It may be that many Brazilians still don't know about them because, in fact, a large part of these very high quality fruits are not in Brazil and the reason is obvious: better products require more care and cost more to produce. To pay the production cost, most of the time, the foreign market has a better selling price.

Little by little this is starting to change. Except for the crisis we are facing, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilians had been increasing their purchasing power and, consequently, looking for better products, even if more expensive. Thus, products that did not appear in supermarkets are increasingly present.

This is the case of melons and watermelons produced by Agrícola Famosa (Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia), mangoes produced by Agrodan (Pernambuco and Bahia), grapes produced by Labrunier (Bahia and Pernambuco), among many other companies and farmers. outback.

You may be wondering: the northeastern hinterland is not the driest region in Brazil, how can it be the “orchard of the world”? In fact, in the northeastern semi-arid region it rarely rains more than 500mm a year, its soils are generally poor in organic matter and temperatures easily exceed 30℃ on average. But it is also a fact that with little water and technology, deserts can be transformed into orchards.

Today, drip irrigation is not only a reality for a producer in Chapada do Apodi or Vale do São Francisco, it is the most efficient way of getting water and fertilizers to the roots of plants at the right time and in the right quantity.

For the dream of an arid land to be transformed into fertile and productive soils, it is not enough to “throw water”. It all starts with a good irrigation and fertigation project, with adequate equipment sizing for the protection and efficiency of your irrigation system, respecting the agronomic requirements of the crop and operational requirements of production activities.

Installing the system is also a key point of success. A poorly installed good system can be more of a hindrance than a help! Looking for solid companies in the irrigation sector that have experience providing correct guidance is essential.

Installed the irrigation and fertigation system, get to work! It is essential to take the necessary measures to maintain the equipment in good condition. In the same way that a tractor needs maintenance to continue working well, irrigation has equipment that needs attention to maintain its good performance, otherwise you will have to carry out repairs much earlier than expected, and this means that the money will “come out of your pocket”. " faster.

Last but not least, good irrigation and fertigation management are fundamental to achieving the desired productivity and keeping costs under control.

Excess water is harmful because it can cause saturation in the soil and prevent the roots from breathing, which is essential, believe me. The lack of water? Well, I don't even need to explain the lack of water. Whether in the backlands or anywhere else in Brazil, when you plant and the rain doesn't come, the damage is great, on the plant and on your pocket!

By Glayton Rocha, agronomic specialist, Netafim Brasil