Manejo eficiente del riego en maíz con información satelital

Abstract

Within the Río Negro Basin in Argentina, the area cultivated with maize is approximately 25,000 hectares, with a production of 275,000 tons. Although this represents less than 1% participation at the national level, it is a region where the cultivated area is continuously increasing and constitutes a strategic option as an input for meat production in Argentine Patagonia. The average yield is around 11,000 kg/ha. As with all crops in this region, maize production requires irrigation to achieve yields (production is null without irrigation). Considering the growing decrease in water availability for irrigation in the region, it is necessary to implement actions aimed at improving the efficiency of water resource use, focusing on maximizing water productivity. In this regard, standardizing the calculation of maize crop irrigation requirements will help increase the efficiency in the use of productive inputs such as water and fertilizers.In this study, the FAO 56 methodology is applied with the support of satellite information in order to validate its use in maize cultivation.