Climate challenges affect melon and watermelon producers in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

According to the Emater/RS-Ascar Conjuntural Bulletin, released last Thursday (31), melon and watermelon producers in Rio Grande do Sul face significant challenges in relation to the weather, while they carry out planting and monitor the development of the crops. In the Santa Rosa region, farmers have completed planting and are observing the growth of the cultivated areas, although there has been a reduction in crops, the result of successive losses in previous years, caused by prolonged droughts and heavy rains. In Pelotas, soil preparation is in the final phase, with the first plantings already being carried out. In Soledade, early varieties are showing vigorous growth. On the other hand, in Rio Pardo, recent rains have increased soil moisture, an essential factor for the development of fruits, but have also ...