This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at GENVCE publica un mapa agroclimático para el cultivo del maíz grano en España
GENVCE Publishes a map agroclimático for the crop of the corn grain in Spain
Horace López and Fernando de la Cruz (ITAP)13/03/2012
13 March 2012
This work has been able to realise because nowadays it has , on the one hand, of the systems of geographic information(SIG) and, porotro, of the excellent publication of the Iberian Climatic Atlas, recently published by the State Agency of Meteorology (AEMET).It is a climatological atlas for the normal series of precipitation and temperature of 1971 to 2000, taking like base the data of observation of meteorological stations and places pluviométricos of the national networks of Portugal and of Spain.
Map of period of seeds recommended
The germination, the nascencia and even the initial periods of growth are delicate. The criterion generalised is that it can seed when the floor reaches the temperature of 8-10 °C, measured to 10 cm of depth. It gives do that no always has of thermometer of floor, this measure relates well with the temperature acclimatise, although subject to variations owed mainly to the type of floor. Nevertheless, and in spring, this rank of temperatures of floor corresponds with the one of 10-12 °C of temperature acclimatise. Thus, the criterion followed is the one of temperature acclimatise half monthly upper to 11 °C. It is known that the plants surfaced can bear soft frosts so much in intensity(-2 or -3 °C) as in length. Usually, when this sucede the aerial part can remain affected but the plant keeps growing, reducing slightly his productive capacity.
It appears 1: favourable Date of seed of the crop of the corn in Spain. Map elaborated by ITAP with data of AETMET.
Map of indexes of maturity (thermal sensors integral)
The index of maturity obtains adding the daily half temperatures (from 6°C and until 30 °C) from seeds it until the physiological maturity (blackhead or humidity of the grain between 30-35%). The criteria of classification of cycles used are the ones of the Organisation of United Nations for the Feeding and the Agriculture (FAO). For the manufacturing of the map (figure2) has used the monthly half temperature for the months of crop of corn. It has checked that the result does not differ of the obtained using the daily half temperature. In those zones where can seed in the month of February, to effect to calculate the thermal sensors integral, only has computed the second fortnight.
It appears 2: thermal sensors Integral of the crop of the corn in Spain. Map elaborated by ITAP with data of AETMET.
Conclusion
These maps can be an optimum road to transmit the information of the adaptation of the varieties to the distinct regions and areas. Besides, they are a tool to give assistance for the socioeconomic development of the agricultural sector, including in this group from the agriculturalists until the institutions of public and private investigation, going through the service companies and the transformative industry.