The Phytosanitary Alert and Information Network of Andalusia has issued a report on the current situation of garlic cultivation in Córdoba, the largest garlic-producing province in Andalusia, which is home to 38.7% of the area and 41.2% of the regional production.
The Spring variety accounts for around 70% of the total area. "The current situation as a result of the drought is less worrying since it was planted in October, when water was available." As for the purple variety, sown in December, "the concern was maximum due to the absence of rainfall and lack of forecasting of the same at the time of planting, a fact that caused many farmers to choose not to plant, so the purple garlic area has been reduced this campaign. In general, the total sown area has been reduced by around 10%".
“The fertilizers applied to the plantations have had little effect due to the lack of rain and the limited provision of irrigation water, so the crop is not developing properly, with about 2 months to go before the start of the harvest. ”, highlighted the RAIF. "On the other hand, the dry weather has favored that there are no noteworthy pests or diseases and hardly any treatments have been carried out."
"With almost total certainty, the garlic harvest this season will be lower than last year's. Although the garlic crops have improved with the rainfall these days, the water in many cases has arrived late."
Regarding the phytosanitary situation, "cryptogamic diseases may begin to appear, among which special attention should be paid to blanquilla and rust, given that the greater or lesser incidence of this disease is closely linked to weather conditions. Thus, the rain and the mild temperatures that are being recorded these days favor the development and spread of these diseases.”