Corbana makes its weather monitoring tool available to growers
Costa Rican banana association Corbana has announced that it is to make its Banaclima platform available to the sector to support technical decision-making and address the climate challenges affecting banana production.
The meteorological monitoring system provides real-time data on weather conditions in the Caribbean region, generating weather forecasts via WhatsApp and a weekly analysis through a network of 12 high-precision meteorological stations. It also has a dedicated website where users can view the information in real time at any time and generate graphs of historical weather patterns by week, month, or year.
“Banana production in the Costa Rican Caribbean is exposed to climatic variations that directly influence crop development, the incidence of diseases such as Black Sigatoka, and the effectiveness of agricultural inputs,” said Rafael Segura, director of the Corbana Research Centre.
“Having timely information allows for more precise action, ensuring the effectiveness of the management package and the use of inputs, and reducing the risk of losses due to climatic events.”
The system facilitates the planning of key activities such as the application of protectants, fertilisation, and harvesting, optimises the use of inputs, and improves the response to emergencies such as floods or droughts. Furthermore, it is a valuable tool for the development of pest and disease forecasting models, as well as for scientific research related to climate and its impact on production systems.
Corbana said Banaclima is part of its commitment to more efficient, resilient, sustainable, and more environmentally friendly agriculture, in line with the challenges facing the sector in the face of climate change.
