The content of this article “Climate versus technology in Mexico and its impact on agriculture” was prepared by www.hortalizas.com and has been reviewed and republished by FreshFruitPortal.com.
Climate vs technology: using technology means learning to take advantage of it and improve it. Dr. Jorge Flores Velázquez, agronomist in protected agriculture, assigned to the sub-coordination of irrigation engineering at the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA), holder of a postgraduate degree in science and technology IMTA-UNAM, shared valuable knowledge at the Industry Summit in 2019 on the current and future work of technology in the agricultural industry.
The presentation focused on five main points: what is an agricultural production system? How important is climate and the environment? What are some of the weather conditions in Mexico? What makes a region productive? And how to take advantage of these climatic conditions with technology?
The agricultural production system
Dr. Flores began by clarifying that “all systems must be in balance”. Historically, plant production is one of the oldest physico-chemical-biological relationships between four aspects: plant-soil-atmosphere-water; both linearly and multilinearly.
This interrelation currently exists, but the interactions between the use of different disruptive technologies need to be redefined or different production systems developed (compared to traditional methods), resulting in increased yield and efficient use of resources.
Today, whether production systems are urban or rural, “the application of any control strategy, whether under controlled conditions or in the field, must be applied to the optimization and management of system through technology, normally based on mathematical models, to use resources efficiently,” he said.
The climate and the environment
To cover the second point, Dr. Flores started with a question as fundamental as it is complex: what does the climate do? Climate is the sum of two aspects: weather and climate. Among these are elements and factors.
All of this creates a climatic region where, a climatically appropriate region results when technology is added to the equation.
Breaking them down, he explained and defined each:
- Weather and climate: that’s what’s happening right now. It’s the weather. When we talk about climate, we are talking about global average over time.
- Factors (physical elements): latitude and altitude are those that define whether the region is climatically suitable in its regional aspect, that is, they define the climatic characteristics of the region.
- The (climatic) elements: direct and derived, are those that define for which type of crop or production system can be developed.
Altogether, the combination of these factors defines whether the agroclimatic characteristics of a region are suitable. If so, for which crops?
For this reason, we must know the climatic requirements of our crops and according to these characterize them: “What must be maintained as a balance between resources and yields.”
Secondary climatic factors:
- Heat flux.
- Pressure deficit.
- Atmospheric pressure, which represents the density of the air and the strength of the ventilation rate.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the “gasoline” used by the plant to carry out its photosynthesis, the basic factor of production.
- Evapotranspiration, i.e. the amount of water the plant needs. This is an important subject today in the face of the international water crisis which is fueling the search for new technological alternatives.
Dr. Flores stresses that it is important to know all of these factors when creating a productive region. Although it all depends on the culture, and therefore, we must know the culture.
“Knowing the culture is the first point, then comes the planning and programming. The complex dynamic climate system requires us to introduce technologies for monitoring, management (in real or medium time), control and effective action.”
Climatic conditions in Mexico
Paradoxically, one of the main problems and opportunities in Mexico is the complex climate classification that exists, which makes it difficult to decide on a general climate classification.
Another problem is the erratic rainfall. The question of water is a starting point and precipitation and its storage must be learned.
What makes a region productive?
A productive region is the sum of climate and technology, notions already mentioned.
Regarding the climate: “With average data, from thirty years ago, I can define whether my region is suitable; and with daily data I can manage my harvest,” said Dr. Flores.
The technology, with respect to precipitation and radiation, is based on management questions regarding the factors currently present and its management capabilities.
In general, what makes a region suitable? Climatically, in what is appropriate, the basics are already in place, but we are also talking about factors such as high radiation, warm winters, low relative humidity, communication routes and finally markets.
In terms of technology, the Regional Research and Development Units are important. Try for example the use of mesh, precision agriculture, remote sensing, sensor irrigation, etc.
Several factors are necessary for high production, including climate, labor, water, soil. This allows us to zone the productive potential by region. But, in general, regarding the regions and their potential (high-medium-low), Mexico has a high production capacity.
However, “anomalies can arise and the region can be adapted, but it must be considered suitable for what or for whom”, before the data collected by the agencies that concentrate and study them becomes meaningful.
Overall, Dr Flores said “it is the benefit-cost ratio that defines whether it is a climatically suitable region”.
Use of technology
The opportunities and weaknesses of specific cultures must be found and protected or prevented.
For this, we use technologies such as:
- Smart agriculture: analytical prediction of historical data.
- Artificial intelligence: automatic reaction machines.
- Biotechnology: genetic modification, adaptation.
- The Internet of Things: chips, sensors, real-time activity.
- Urban agriculture: vertical, aquaculture, energy and nutrition.
Based on the above, four basic questions arise:
- Climate forecasting and simulation tools. It only has to do with the functioning and precise knowledge of the specific culture on its physical, chemical and biological needs.
- Data acquisition system. The Internet of Things, “I program and receive data from my office”.
- Precision agriculture monitoring. Mobile cartographic sensors, use of satellite images, monitoring with nano-satellites. “Daily satellite imagery, which breaks up temporality and spatiality and increases precision (by one centimeter) to, for example, see diseases.”
- Controlled and semi-controlled systems. Derived from climate models, which are real-time historical data acquisition systems with the establishment of production systems for the plant to develop its potential.
In summary, Dr. Flores says that the plant has three forms of nutrition: mineral, vegetable (carbonic) and water; They are what defines its potential.
What if one of the nutrition parts can be replaced? The technology then brings the yield on some of the parts of the plant to provide it, this according to the meteorological stations and the calculation: the management of the radiation, the quantity of water, the transpiration, etc.
In closing, Dr Flores said: “The region will be climatically suitable as long as there is a balance between these conditions and what we get. For this reason, it is important to know the climato-regional characteristics so as not to overinvest in these resources. Making the most of local resources, that’s why you have to get to know them and then start the process of change.”
Sources and footnotes: Flores Velázquez, Jorge Dr., Conference “Climate vs Technology”. Deputy Director of the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA) team. Industry Summit Mexico 2019. León, Guanajuato. June 2019.
