Department of Agriculture completes installation of meteorological stations in RS

The first stage of the Agroclimatic Monitoring and Alerts System project (SIMAGRO-RS), from the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (Seapdr), ended last Friday (04/12) with the installation of the 20th meteorological station in the Rio Grande do Sul, in the municipality of Sobradinho.

The process began on July 22 with the installation of sensors in Pinheiro Machado and ended with the installation of the Sobradinho meteorological station. There are 20 stations spread across the state, generating diverse data on humidity, temperature, wind, rain, radiation, among others. The stations will improve the state's agroclimatic monitoring, in addition to helping to verify the ideal conditions for applying 2,4D and any other phytosanitary product.

“The next stage of the project is to make weather and climate models available to producers. We are finalizing the process and the products we are developing will be made available on a SIMAGRO-RS project website”, explains Flávio Varone, meteorologist at the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (Seapdr). 

“This new system, which is being developed free of charge by the Department of Agriculture for producers, will allow for better crop planning. And this is fundamental, especially if we take into account the periodic records of drought”, says secretary Covatti Filho.

The stations were installed in regions where 2,4D drift had been recorded. And they are the result of a partnership between Seapdr, the State Public Prosecutor's Office, through the Environmental Prosecutor's Office, and herbicide companies. In addition to local partnerships with city halls, universities and unions. The total cost of the stations, with assembly and maintenance for 3 years, is around R$600.

The weather stations

1. Pinheiro Machado

2. Piratini

3. São Sepé

4. Itaqui

5. Maçambara

6. Rosario do Sul

7. Getúlio Vargas

8. Ilópolis

9. Barra do Ribeiro

10. Cachoeira do Sul

11. Canguçu

12. Herval

13. Lavras do Sul

14. São Borja

15. Bossoroca

16. Jaguari

17. São Francisco de Paula

18. Caxias do Sul

19. Porto Vera Cruz

20. Sobradinho