With irrigation, family producer in Goiás boosts vegetable cultivation in the city

Family farming in Brazil is fundamental for the production of quality food that reaches Brazilians' tables every day, such as fruits, vegetables and legumes. According to the latest Agricultural Census released by IBGE, there are more than 5 million small rural properties across the country, representing 77% of agricultural production establishments. One of these producers is Michael Douglas, from Palmeiras de Goiás, a city 80 km from the capital Goiânia.

A biologist by training, after working for a few years in the field, he decided to fulfill an old dream that began as a child when he grew vegetables to support his family. The desire to undertake started on paper and the family project began in 2016, initially in an area of ​​just 600 m² at home, in a completely urban environment. “Our focus is leafy vegetables, lettuce, cabbage, chives, green chives, coriander, parsley, these are plants with shorter cycles, which give a faster return and turnover. The product is sold mainly to the end consumer and resellers within the city itself, such as fruit shops”, highlights the producer.

At the beginning of the project, the farmer irrigated manually with a watering can, however, the process compromised the performance of the service, which was not good. That was when they had the idea of ​​setting up an irrigation system first with cannons, which although initially improved the process, the solution used a lot of water and did not provide uniformity. “Vegetables do not accept fluctuations in irrigation, they have to be very uniform to maintain a standard bed”, reinforces the biologist.

In search of more efficient solutions to expand production, optimizing labor and being efficient and sustainable in the application of water, the producer discovered Santeno irrigation hoses, which have the Nortène quality seal. The model chosen was the Santeno I hose, developed for vegetables, lawns and small pastures. Microperforated by laser, the product produces water jets directed upwards, irrigating 100% of the area, with a range of up to 2 meters on each side.

The choice was successful, the producer managed to expand his cultivated area, and today, production is carried out on a farm within the city and the planted area has increased to 10.000 m², 5.000 m² of which are irrigated with Santeno hoses. “In addition to reducing labor, with Santeno hoses, the level of precision is so great that it provides very rapid irrigation uniformity, avoiding damage to plants. We were also able to save water and reduce the time the pump was on, also using less energy”, highlights Douglas.

Easy handling and great efficiency

Santeno hoses stand out for being practical and highly versatile products. According to Laís Zacheu, commercial manager, one of the great differences of hoses is how easy it is to change locations, unlike other irrigation systems that are fixed and are more complicated to move due to their installation. “When the hose is not working, it is extremely malleable, producers can easily move around on it between the beds to manage and clean weeds, which will not pose any risk, unlike competing products that are more rigid”, highlights Laís.

They also have a one-year manufacturer's warranty and were produced to be exposed to sunlight, and the most variable weather conditions such as rain and wind, without losing quality. “We have reports from customers who have been using the products for five years and have never had any problems”, recalls the professional.

Complete line

Producers also have available the Santeno 2, a hose ideal for irrigating fruit and flowers, and the Santeno 3, developed for irrigating tobacco and flowers. The company also offers hoses on the market aimed at irrigating peppers, which have laser technology developed exclusively in Brazil that allows custom-made holes for each crop. “It is also important to highlight our exclusive line for gardens that produce micro jets of water directed upwards like an artificial drizzle and finally, Hose Pro for professional and large-scale irrigation, products with the highest technology and quality”, concludes the manager .