July has started with heavy rains in the Valencian Community, in Spain. Up to 71.2 liters per square meter fell in Sagunto; a town where, according to the weather service Aemet, there has been almost as much rainfall in one hour as the total accumulated between October and May.
"According to our initial assessments, the rains have not had too much of a negative impact on our citrus fields. In fact, the water will be very good for them, as we had been experiencing quite a lot of stress due to the lack of rainfall," says Pedro Leal, from Naranjas Ché. "However, we'll have to remain vigilant about diseases or pests caused by the excess moisture."
The rainfall was very heavy and, as explained by the state meteorological agency, in Sagunto 75% of all the water fallen between the night and the morning of the first day of July fell in just one hour.
"At 2 pm we already had sunshine and 28 degrees, and the water had been absorbed by the fields, but the relative humidity must have been close to 100%. The heat and high humidity are the ideal breeding ground for fungi, so we will be monitoring developments over the next few days."
What is certain is that the rain was necessary and will be beneficial for the soil and allow a recovery of the region's water reserves after months of insufficient rainfall and too mild temperatures, says Pedro. "After a rather warm winter, we've seen quite an irregular flowering in citrus. And after a few cold days in March, we've seen a deficient fruit set in the plots that had a greater abundance of flowers, compared to the initial flowering."
"In any case, this situation is not exclusive to citrus. The flowering has also been rather irregular in the case of avocados, a crop that has grown a lot in recent years in the Valencian Community. Everyone is putting this down to climatic reasons, whose impact is becoming more and more noticeable."
For more information:
Ché Oranges
Cm. Montiver S/N, Polígono 31 Parc. 335
46500 Sagunto, Valencia. Spain
Logistic Warehouse:
Carrer del Ciscar, 53 - 55
46529 Canet d'en Berenguer, Valencia. Spain
Tel.: 96 317 23 44
[email protected]
www.naranjasche.com