El Uco Valley It dawned again with late frosts and minimum temperatures below zero after a warm weekend with Zonda wind. In agricultural areas of San Carlos, Tunuyán and Tupungato Thermal defenses were activated to protect crops in the sensitive stage.
According to data from the Climate Contingencies Directorate (DCC), the recorded values moved within ranges typical of the season, although at several points they fell below the tolerance thresholds for vines and stone fruit trees. In Old Houses They were measured up to -3,3 ° C, which explains the presence of smoke and defensive bonfires visible from sections of the 40 Route.
Affected areas and minimum temperatures
The episode focused on the three departments of the Uco Valley, with greater severity in low-lying and exposed areas. The stations recorded negative results that, in several cases, required the activation of active defenses during the early morning.
Tupungato: The Pear Tree moved between 0,0 and -0,2 °CWhile Dubois hovered around the -1,1 ° C.
Tunuyan: they signed up -1,9 ° C at the head, -2,2 to -2,3°C en Flowers View and to -2,8 ° C en Las Rosas Colony. In Bitter water, the thermometers were close to 0 °C.
San Carlos Office: in The Consultation were recorded between -0,8 and -0,6 °C, a The brush near -1,1 ° C and the lowest value was in Old Houses -3,3 ° C.
The DCC recalled that the differences between seasons reflect the local variability of a frost: small variations in relief, cloud cover and wind can move the thermometer a little tenths of a degree from one point to another.
Impact on crops and level of risk
The potential damage depends on the phenological state. The vid, between green tip and shoots up to 10 cm, tolerates around -1,1 ° C, so exposures below that threshold can affect tender shoots. late stone fruit trees (late cherry and peach) and the plum trees in small setting they are especially sensitive, while almond trees and early plum trees with fruits close to 1 cm have medium resistance.
In contrast, olive and pistachio —no activity marked yet— They show high resistance in this type of eventsTechnically, most of the episode's lows were near the risk threshold (around -1,0 to -1,5 °C), so the impact would be heterogeneous and located according to exposure, duration and presence of defenses.
It's not just the minimum mark that matters: duration below zero aggravates the situation. In several districts of the valley, the intense cold extended between 1 and 3 hours, enough for ice to crystallize within the tissues and cause necrosis in shoots. Given this scenario, the technical recommendation is to wait. 10 to 15 days to quantify the real extent, since the damage becomes apparent with a delay.
The DCC also noted that although there was more than one recent episode of late cold, its overall intensity was not extreme. Even so, the risk remains open for part of the spring, a period in which the valley's crops remain exposed to outbreaks of cold air.
Immediate response, defenses and emergency procedures
During the early morning they were applied active defenses such as controlled burns, fans and sub- or supra-arboreal irrigation. Measures are also used preventive seasonal, such as soil compaction and forest curtains. presence of smoke It was evident in farms of Altamira and other enclaves in the valley, reducing visibility on access roads and highways.
For those who have suffered losses, the provincial government recalled the procedure of the Agricultural Emergency Law 9083After evaluating the event, the DCC opens the complaints register; each producer must submit their paperwork in RUT-SIA (sia.mendoza.gov.ar) and prove that the property is registered.
Then, DCC technicians carry out the field appraisal to determine the percentage of damage and issue the certificate that defines Emergency o Agricultural Disaster. In the case of late frosts, the deadline to file a complaint is 10 working days after a period of observation of 20 consecutive days, necessary to assess the real impact on the crop.
As a general recommendation, it is suggested to keep the daily monitoring of sensitive lots, review irrigation and heating systems, and plan defense reinforcements in the coming early mornings with risk. The window of peligro It extends for several more weeks in the Uco Valley.
With records that touched or exceeded the critical threshold In several districts and a massive deployment of thermal defenses, the episode leaves a balance of possible damage focused in vineyards and orchards. Confirmation will come after monitoring over the next two weeks, and in parallel, producers can now move forward with the managements assistance provided for by provincial regulations.
