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From Cuba - Irrigation of the fields


The center pivot irrigation system.
The center pivot irrigation system.

The center pivot irrigation system.


The origin of irrigation with central pivot machines probably dates back to 1952, when a rustic model of hydraulic operation began to operate and was later perfected. There are currently more than 10 million hectares irrigated with the central pivot technique throughout the world.


It is a large-scale irrigation system that can be easily found throughout the cultivated lands of Cuba. On an excursion, for example, from Varadero to the Bay of Pigs, you will have the opportunity to admire such landscapes on the way, especially between the villages of Jovellanos and La Isabel.


This type of irrigation makes the crop fields particularly circular, due to the operation of the central pivot system, which goes around enormous areas of land, particularly used for planting bananas, potatoes and other tubers.


Due to the intense heat of the country, especially in summer, irrigation of cultivated fields must be done very early in the morning or towards the end of the day.


Electric central pivot irrigation machines are a fundamental element in Cuba to support the urgent task of increasing our agricultural production in the current times.


In Cuba, there are currently almost 460,000 hectares that are exploited under this mechanized irrigation system, which represents only 17% of the total cultivated area throughout the country, according to official statistics, dated at the end of 2020.


Irrigated agriculture is essential for the economy, health and well-being of a considerable part of the peoples of the Third World, of which Cuba is an undeniable part, and therefore, it is one of the most important factors for the food security of the planet.


However, it should not be forgotten that irrigation radically changes land use and would in turn be the largest consumer of water. For this reason, it can be said that the development of irrigation is a double-edged sword that has a considerable impact on the environment, and any poorly designed project can become an element that degrades the environment.


It is relevant to point out that soil erosion would be the most widespread cause of environmental degradation and its main agent is water erosion.


Towards the end of the 20th century, millions of hectares were reported worldwide with problems of medium or high erosion, with problems of salinity and sodicity, desertification and many others affected by poor drainage, which shows that there is still much to be done in terms of soil conservation and recovery at a global level, and Cuba is no exception to this phenomenon.


During your previous trips to Cuba, had you noticed the presence of such central pivot irrigation systems, as well as the round shape of some cultivated fields?

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