GENVCE Publishes a map agroclimático for the crop of the corn grain in Spain

GENVCE has begun a line of work that has by aim create maps of Spain where reflect the environingingments and potential zones of adaptation of the varieties tested. This cartography is an innovative document and understands like something dynamic in which reflect criteria and rules of decision attending to climatic variables, edafológicas and of importance of the crop.

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.

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.

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.

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.