Excessive heat affects vegetable production

Since spring began, officially on September 23rd, a strong heat wave has taken over the entire country. The season, with a predominance of milder weather, is under the influence of the El Niño phenomenon, which left the period with characteristic summer: very hot and heavy rains.

Last month, for almost two weeks, temperatures reached extreme levels, far above normal. “Heat and humidity are ingredients for heavy rain and thunderstorms. It’s just difficult to predict when and where they will happen”, warns Willians Bini, meteorologist and head of communications at Climatempo. 

In agriculture, the unseasonal heat wave affects agricultural production in various chains. In the produce sector, for example, much of the food produced is extremely sensitive to high temperatures. This affects everything from crops in the field to the food that reaches the consumer's table. 

"Mogi das Cruzes, in the Green Belt of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, stands out for the production of fruits, flowers and vegetables, especially leafy vegetables. In this sense, the intense heat of the last few days significantly impacts the quality of the plants, depending on the culture and in all phases of the plant, in planting, driving, harvesting and transport”, highlights David Rodrigues, Rural Extensionist at CATI Regional Mogi das Cruzes.  

The Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo (SAA), through the Comprehensive Technical Assistance Coordination (CATI), has been promoting new production techniques in the region, which seek to mitigate these climate effects, including the use of bio-inputs and the introduction of the Direct Planting System for Vegetables (SPDH). “SPDH consists of covering the soil, creating protection for the plant’s growth and conserving moisture,” he adds.