While 96 French departments are on drought alert, farmers are coping with water restrictions to continue irrigating their land. In Séris, in the Loir-Et-Cher department, the area is classified red, the highest level of alert, but the tap is, luckily, not definitively cut.
David Péchard grows cereals and legumes that he has the right to water exclusively on weekdays. Any drilling from Saturday to Monday is prohibited. “ It forces us during the week to work a little more to irrigate everything that needs to be at that time. And that will inevitably limit production on certain crops that will not receive water in time. “says the farmer.
The larger the areas to be irrigated, the more tiring this new work rhythm is for both man and plant. Only the return of the rains could lighten the task of farmers. “ We were lucky to have a storm a fortnight ago which was life-saving for a lot of non-irrigated crops and for the colleagues who are irrigating at the moment, says David Péchard. It was relaxing, it allowed the reel to be left alone for a week and the fields not to be irrigated. »
Prioritize crops
While waiting for the next showers, David Péchard has chosen to prioritize the irrigation of certain crops. Its sunflowers, for example, are more resistant to drought and can do without water, even if it means producing a little less. ” We know that if we brought it a little water, it could gain between 10 and 20% more yields.explains the farmer. The problem is that in times of restrictions, I will not have the responsibility and the time. I will prioritize my beans around water intake. »
For this farmer, if the restrictions worsen in the coming years, certain water-intensive species, such as corn, will no longer be able to be grown in the region.
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