Given the unusual rains that are expected in Chile, and that will last for the weekend in the south central zone, and that arrive at the peak of the fruit season, the president of the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta) , Jorge Valenzuela, calls for producers to urgently consider all phytosanitary measures, and physical or mechanical actions, to avoid damage to the crops that are being harvested.

"It is important, with this summer rain, to handle the issue of rotting in the fruit, so the call to producers is to take all preventive measures, with phytosanitary controls, especially with fruit with sensitivity to splits, "warned Valenzuela, adding that the most important thing is phytosanitary applications, in addition to physical and mechanical protections. "Air can be applied, even with helicopters in more extreme cases, to dry up all the water that remains in the fruit and can cause damage. Other physical measures can be done by passing tractors with turbo pumps with air, immediately after the rains, to dry the fruit that is being harvested. "

The call of Fedefruta then is to take all precautionary and preventive measures urgently, from the use of products to prevent the eventual proliferation of fungi or diseases, to cleaning the channels, "because after these rains the water runs with great force, especially if it is precipitation with a high zero isotherm. And not only the canals, you also have to be careful with technified irrigation, due to the amount of mud that is formed and that can complicate irrigation systems ", said Valenzuela .

The Meteorological Directorate of Chile (DMC) announced that the rains would extend from this Thursday until Sunday. In addition, the agency issued an alert, anticipating at least 60 millimeters inside O'Higgins, Maule and Ñuble this Friday. The front will be due to the unusual climatic phenomenon known as the flying or atmospheric river, a band of water vapor that emerges from the tropics and can sometimes reach mid-latitudes such as Chile or California.

Finally, "as Fedefruta, we will be monitoring the situation with the producers to know the state of the crops that may be complicated by the rains," concluded Valenzuela.