Are you one of those who thinks that you can no longer enjoy your garden with the arrival of winter? Let me tell you that you are wrong , even growing in winter has its advantages! As much as the cold numbs us, the plants not so much (as long as it is not excessive). The key is knowing how to choose what to grow and how to prepare your garden.

The first thing to do is to check the temperature your garden is going to face, since depending on how cold it is, we will recommend using one crop or another, since some of them can withstand temperatures of up to -4ºC. The most important thing is to prepare the garden as soon as possible, taking into account if your growing area is very cold or if it suffers from frost , since if you wait until the ground is cold, it will be more difficult to face the inclement weather.

Next we are going to explain the different methodologies to follow depending on the area in which you are and the temperature.

Zone without excessive frosts and temperatures down to -1ºC

In these areas you not only have at your disposal a wide variety of crops to choose from, but you can also make them with seeds . Because the temperatures are not that low, the seed will have time to germinate and grow before the extreme temperatures begin.

Among the cultivation options, you can choose between leeks, onions, lettuce, parsley, carrots, spinach, peas … in short, a wide and delicious variety!

There is also the possibility of avoiding the sowing phase , in the event that the growing season has passed and you want to start as soon as possible or when you have a large volume of sowing and want to save time by skipping the sowing phase.

Zone with some frost and temperatures down to -6ºC

For these cases we would do as explained above in the case of not arriving in good weather and it would be possible to start with the plant directly , avoiding seeds at all costs, since in the cold they will not germinate correctly.

Among the most interesting cultivation options that endure until frost, we find leeks, radishes, beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, spinach, carrots, chard, watercress … as you can see, low temperatures do not mean that you cannot grow anything! !

Area with harsh winters

We understand harsh winters as those in which temperatures drop to -10ºC . The good news is that you can continue to enjoy your garden, although you must have a greenhouse that is responsible for raising the temperature of the environment.

Advantages of growing in winter

Finally, we would like to list those benefits that you and your crop will obtain if you choose to practice agriculture in winter.

First of all, your crops will suffer from fewer pests , so you can be calmer. Being a rainy season, you can also be less aware of irrigation , since nature itself will take care of watering your crops. On the other hand, there are crops that are better to grow at this time of year, such as chard, recula, spinach … in short, many salad leaves, which obtain a less bitter taste by not suffering from the scorching summer sun, so a better flavor is achieved.

Of course, always with the best footwear

Whatever you work in the garden, whether it is extremely cold or not, we have what you need .

Like, for example, our FOCA Oliva high boot , with the ideal height to cover up to the knees , which provides greater safety and cleanliness when carrying out agricultural work. In addition, it also has a non-slip sole and, being made entirely of PVC, it has great resistance and durability without losing a bit of comfort and lightness.

On the other hand, remember that you can add extra thermal comfort and protection from the cold to our boots with these Mavinsa accessories, as we already mentioned in this other post .

Sustainable agriculture improves the economy of crops and promotes the logical and efficient use of non-renewable resources.

Another benefit is that thanks to the use of natural resources it allows us to create a recycling center. This process can help us to take care of the Planet, the Earth, conserve natural resources and save money.

I am going to explain some tips to follow to achieve good sustainable agriculture:

Eliminate weeds:

As stubble burning has always been used, it is a very valid option to eliminate weeds being very careful with fire, you have to know how to do it and have it constantly controlled. Also pass an agricultural machine that removes the soil being very careful without moving it too much because it removes all the nutrients.

Another option would be controlled grazing, the animals that graze benefit us for the erosion of the Earth, they give us manure that will contribute to the fertility of the Earth.

Maintain soil health:

There is a practice that is the rotation of different crops that has been practiced for centuries, by changing the crop, the land remains healthy, it helps prevent the transmission of diseases.

Also the sowing of different varieties of the same crop, benefits and guarantees the genetic diversity of the plants, thus the crops are stronger and healthier.

Crops get most of their nutrients from the soil so it is very important to keep it perfect to work in. That is why resources have always been used to keep it fertile: plowing or aerating the soil.

Some farmers add crop residues, organic matter, and fertilizer compounds before tilling.

Pest Control:

Agriculture has pests and you have to know how to deal with the problem as least damaging as possible for the plant, the earth and the environment.

You have to know how to obtain an effective pest system. Some of them are not necessary to eliminate them, there are some beneficial for the cultivation.

Many of the solutions is the use of beneficial insects: wasps, ladybugs …

To end these pests, some animals are also attracted for this elimination: Birds, bats … etc

Irrigation:

Water management is very important, you have to know how to choose the crop that is most suitable to grow.

Having an irrigation system controls the use of water and benefits economically. There are also other products to retain water: Mulch and cover crops.

In summary, it is necessary to take into account the needs of the land with which it is going to work, the environment it has and the climate of the area to carry out agricultural cultivation.

They explain in SatAgro that a third of Spanish farmers take advantage of the months before spring to sow. Corn or potato are the preferred crops for the month of February, but also grasses such as wheat, oats, barley or rye. This Polish-based agrotechnology company provides precision agriculture solutions based on satellite observations for producers around the world to maximize the potential of their crops and save fertilizers. Now, he offers a series of tips for the farmer to achieve success in his fields. 

Review and selection of seeds

One of the premises before starting to plant is to certify that we have a sufficient supply of seed and that it adapts to the characteristics and condition of the soil. For this, germination tests can be carried out earlier, which will provide very valuable information and will help to discard seeds that are at the end of their germination power. SAtAgro reminds that there are also solutions based on precision agriculture that can help to optimize the variability of the seeds, adapting the depth of planting to each seed. “This can be controlled thanks to the electromagnetic scanning of the soil, which also provides information on its hydrological properties,” explains Krysztof Stopa, CEO of the company. Regarding the amount of grain,  

Weed cutting

From the agricultural company they emphasize that the weed usually shares a common space with the cultivated species and can generate, by its percentage and volume, up to 70% losses in agricultural yield. In fact, the presence of weeds is a permanent problem in crops such as potatoes, as they harbor insects and other pathogens and steal nutrients, living space, water and light from incipient crops during the critical period of competition, which in the case of the potato goes from 20 to 30 days after they sprout.

Site preparation and soil analysis

As important as good seed planning and weeding is checking the condition of the agricultural soil. This will help verify that you have the necessary nutrients to ensure sowing and subsequent harvest. In SatAgro they explain that it is essential to take a good sample, since it is not the same to analyze the surface of the earth than to do it at a depth of 50 or 90 centimeters. Above all, the texture, the pH, the abundance of micro and macroelements or the amount of organic matter must be analyzed.

Fertilizer application

In addition to superphosphates, SatAgro advises to include organic fertilizers such as horse manure, which provides the soil with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus and will keep the soil full of nutrients until spring. Precision agriculture can be used to save these inputs. This will help the farmer “to monitor the field before sowing, to create optimal sowing maps for the crops at this critical time and to minimize the risk of productive losses in the next harvests”, they explain in the company, where they also consider that these solutions have come to stay. 

Organic farming is an agricultural production management system based on the achievement of improvements in the health of agroecosystems, which includes biological cycles, biodiversity and soil biological activity. One of its main singularities is that it focuses on the good use of agricultural management practices, locally adapting the practices to the conditions of each region. 

Organic farming has numerous advantages derived from the fact that it does not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, as well as rejecting the use of genetically modified seeds and breeds, additives, preservatives or irradiation techniques. These practices are replaced by others that conserve and increase the fertility of the soil not in the short, but in the long term, at the same time that they do not renounce the prevention of diseases and pests.

Below we show the advantages that organic farming offers, both in terms of sustainability and profitability and benefits. In addition, we will discover the bases of this type of cultivation that takes advantage of the natural resources present on earth.

6 BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FARMING

Organic food attracts the attention of an increasing number of consumers because it is perceived as an ethical and healthy choice. However, its benefits do not stop there, as organic farming practices have many benefits for environmental sustainability.

1.- ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTES TO SOIL HEALTH.

The basis for obtaining healthy food is obtaining healthy soil. Natural farming practices, which do not use pesticides or chemicals, promote the prosperity of healthy soils. Compared to chemically treated soil, organic soil rich in compost may not only harbor 10 times the number of useful bacteria, but these will also offer much greater diversity. Organic farming uses organic matter as the basis for fertilization. This has two direct consequences; on the one hand, an improvement in the circulation of the water and in the growth of the roots, which favors the development of crops and plants; on the other hand, the increase in chemical fertility in the soil,

2.- LESS EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES AND CHEMICALS.

Organic farming prevents resistance to diseases presented by plants, weeds and insects, which feed on bacteria, fungi and plants, due to the use of pesticides. Furthermore, chemicals can contaminate soils, water supplies, and the air, sometimes for many years. Ecological agriculture prevents erosion avoiding harmful environmental problems, in addition to relying on CROP rotation and cover crops.

To guarantee those products that are suitable for use in organic farming, there are control and certification bodies that endorse the products authorized for it. Some of the most important are INTERECO, ECOCERT or CERES.

3.- It favors the conservation of water and that its quality is maintained.

Organic farming requires less irrigation and therefore contributes to conserving water. Farmers using this practice develop a soil modification appropriately, for example with the use of mulch, which also helps conserve water.

4.- CONTRIBUTES TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF ANIMALS.

ORGANIC FARMING not only helps preserve more areas of natural habitat, but also encourages birds and other natural predators to live happily on farmland, which helps in natural pest control. Complementary to organic farming practices are organic or organic farms, with clean grazing and free of chemicals, which makes the animals more resistant to diseases.

5.- COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING.

A well applied organic farming system helps to reduce the effects of global warming and to lessen climate change, because it reduces the emission of three types of gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Organic farming has one of its main characteristics in crop rotation, which has been proven to help prevent nitrogen losses to the atmosphere and generate an increase in root biomass. On the other hand, if organic farming finds a positive response from consumers, it makes it unnecessary to produce food by assuming high energy efforts or transferring it from distant countries, with the consequent environmental impact that this implies.

6.- Organic farming promotes biodiversity

The biodiversity that occurs in a plantation gives the measure of the stability of its crops and its profitability. Ecological agriculture encourages this biodiversity to be high, which increases the resistance of the fields to diseases, pests and the action of adverse weather conditions.

PROBELTE, COMMITTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANIC FARMING

At PROBELTE we have a firm commitment to organic farming and one of our main challenges is to offer the market a wide range of quality AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS certified by the agencies in charge. It is for this reason that we make a continuous effort in the area of ​​technological innovation and the development of new products, techniques and means of protecting sustainable crops, always respecting the environment.

We could have presented this post under the title ‘The man and the technology, the technology and the man’, since both shake hands in such a close way that they hardly allow traditional airs to pass through. Communication, production processes and agricultural activities are some of the scenarios in which technology has begun to act. Little by little it is leaving its mark on agriculture, and professionals in the sector are already witnessing its advantages and benefits.

The Benefits Of Technology In The Agricultural Sector

Everything that can be measured can be improved. Based on this reflection, together with an agricultural experience that is gradually growing hand in hand with technology , we have considered it necessary to echo its importance in the sector by showing some of the benefits of using technology in agriculture:

Its smart tools and services enable the development of true precision agriculture .

The agricultural plots are managed on the basis of observation, measurement and action against inter and intra-crop variability.

They multiply the productivity of the farms and incorporate agro-digital techniques to improve crops.

• They allow individualized analysis of farms , which leads to their growth.  
• They maintain control of the crops , detect the lack of fertilizers or water, locate diseases and pests, monitor fumigated areas, obtain high-resolution images, and allow to know the properties of the soil.
• They manage to save costs , improve the use of resources by contributing to the maintenance of the environment, increase the economic benefits of farmers, as well as the rest of the professions related to the sector.
• They make it possible to know in detail the condition of a certain crop.
• They manage to work individually on each plant, surpassing the traditional management and management modalities.
• They improve the quality of the products and, therefore, their price.
• They optimize agricultural operations thanks to the precise knowledge provided by technology, as well as permanent, quantitative and qualitative monitoring.
• Precision agriculture is a revolution with great potential. Roll out into the future of the field!

How Can I Implement The Technology In My Farms?

To achieve this, it is important to know all the alternatives and possibilities that they have depending on their crops. The question that may arise at this point is ‘ who can help me? ‘. Without a doubt, the consulting experts are capable of offering individualized advice.

Taking the step of implementing technology on your farms is a process that requires awareness, first, and seeking help, later. Currently, there are professionals with extensive experience and trained to implement the use of drones , satellites, soil mapping, sensors and other tools in the agricultural and forestry sector. So much so, that some are already pioneers in its implementation.

They know the agricultural sector, and their main objective is to offer a comprehensive agriculture 4.0 service together with farm management, as well as personalized advice to implement this type of services and tools in the sector. It is the set of services that every agricultural professional needs to make their farm a profitable scenario.

Due…

Taking a 360º turn in the way of working is a complex decision that requires time, since it is necessary to be very clear about the objectives we want to achieve and to know the different ways we have to achieve them. Man has potentially evolved, and the agricultural sector is feeling it at the core of its activity.

10 benefits of using technology in agricultureTechnology has come to accompany us in this process, as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) already says : “We need a 70% increase in food production to feed all these people, and we have to cultivate, harvest, distribute and consume food more efficiently ”. The implementation of technology in the sector is already a direct way to achieve this.

After telling you about the role of technological tools in the agricultural sector, we have reached a series of conclusions that we want to share with you today, since it is about the consequences of technological implementation in the agricultural sector. Thanks to them:

All the benefits that we talked about at first are fulfilled .

• Agricultural professionals manage to take their farms to the highest level .
• They focus on the development of their businesses in the long term , but without losing sight of the constant achievement of solid results.
• They have invested a lot of money and effort in the field, so they find the best way to get the maximum return .
• They acquire new knowledge about how to manage a traditional job.
• They acquire new values on automated data, remote control and telematic management of crops.
• Investing In The Present Is Also Preparing For The Future.

The world uses more and more water than the earth can offer us, so one of the most important obligations of farmers is to improve the use of water in agriculture.

Watering  is one of the most common tasks in  agricultural activity , since without water the crops would not produce. Therefore, making a  sustainable use of water in agriculture  is of vital importance for its sustainability, and even more so if we are talking about organic crops. You have to learn to use water efficiently, to get the most out of it, causing the least possible expense.

But in addition to the sustainability of  agricultural water use  due to environmental issues, there are many reasons to take care of irrigating crops. If you invest in improving and making more efficient your irrigation techniques for crops, you will be enhancing their productivity, since it stabilizes agricultural production in the face of rainfall changes. This will have a huge impact on your farm income and they won’t be as volatile.

So there are no more excuses for you not to be more prudent with the use of water in agriculture

Techniques to improve water consumption in agriculture

If you have made the wise decision to improve the use of water in agriculture, we leave you with some tips to help you achieve it.

Select the most efficient irrigation system that meets the needs of the crop. An irrigation system that consumes much more water than necessary is surface irrigation (A blanket), whereas  drip or sprinkler irrigation uses less water  and manages to achieve the same yields.

Study the water consumption needs of the crop in each season. In this way, the amount of water can be  adjusted to the true needs  and you will not waste water in times when it rains more or the water is more expensive.

Properly choose the time of day in which  the production is going to be irrigated in order to avoid the evaporation of the water. Ideally, crops are watered at those times of the day when the sun is not very high, for example early in the day or late in the afternoon, in this way you will ensure that all the water used is destined for its purpose.

Avoid water losses due to runoff and infiltration  beyond the reach of the roots, and adjust the use of fertilizers to the real needs of the crop and manage them properly so that no losses due to leaching occur.

Grow  Mediterranean products  that only need an extra water in addition to rain, instead of basing all production on irrigation water.