Last week’s heavy rainfall in Piura and other parts of northern Peru are not believed to have damaged the grape crop – despite initial concerns amongst producers, Fruitnet informs.
The rainstorm of 4 November was the second heaviest that Piura has experienced during the dry season since at least 2017. With the table grape harvest is ongoing and most vineyards not protected by plastic covers, there were fears that this would have impacted the crop.
However, agronomists said the intensity and duration of the rain was not enough to cause damage or increase the risk of disease.
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“The problem would be if there were a second or third rainfall, but I don’t think that will happen because it’s not usual in October or November,” Roberto Bezerra, a table grape technical advisor, told Red Agrícola. He noted that less than 1 per cent of the berries may have split, most of which will have had previous scarring.
Bezerra also ruled out the possibility of a downy mildew outbreak. “For that to happen, there would have to be running water for many more hours,” he explained, adding that in his opinion, the rain has been beneficial to the harvest, helping to lower the temperature, reduce stress on the vines and improving colouration in red varieties.
The Piura grape season is reported to be progressing well. Almost 40 per cent of the crop has been harvested so far, with fruit quality reported to be high. This is particularly noteworthy given the severe drought the region experienced at the beginning of the year.
The campaign is expected to conclude around 20 December.
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