Irrigating sweet potatoes and vegetables: the Militão & Herdeiros case

Sweet potatoes have been gaining ground in Portuguese agriculture, and Magos has followed this growth closely. In Marinhais, in the municipality of Salvaterra de Magos, Sociedade Agrícola Militão & Herdeiros has been growing vegetables for 30 years. “We farm around 160 hectares of potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, sweet potatoes, among others,” says Pedro Militão, the company's manager.

On the farm, sweet potatoes take up 60 hectares, followed by peppers (52 ha), cabbage (30 ha) and carrots (20 ha).

With sweet potatoes, the soil decides the irrigation

With sweet potatoes, the choice of irrigation system is especially important, particularly on the sandy loam or sandy soils where they are usually grown. That is why Magos works with each grower to adapt the solution to the real needs of the crop and the land, ensuring efficient water management and helping the crop develop at its best.

D1000 and D900: two tapes, two advantages

On this farm, Magos has been using two Rivulis drip tapes, both with an 8 mil wall, 22 mm diameter, emitters every 20 cm and a flow rate of 1 L/h: • D1000, with Activeflex technology and a slit-outlet emitter, which allows the tape to be buried; • D900 with Flap, which allows longer laterals with more efficient, more uniform irrigation.

Water is conveyed through Iberoflat and H6000 layflat hose.

“Recently we chose to use their drip tapes, namely the D1000 and the D900. They've worked well for us, it's a success story, so we have no plans to change, because we feel we're well served,” says Pedro Militão.

30 years of partnership

“We've been working with Magos for 30 years, and they've been a reliable partner,” says Pedro Militão. What Pedro Militão values most is how quickly problems in the field get solved, and the confidence that gives someone who has to make decisions every day.

“We also work with Magos because we know that in this business, with these crops and these irrigation systems, problems sometimes come up, and it's a great comfort for us to know that, if we have that kind of problem, there's someone on the other end to help us solve it. And also because we want to be the best, so we always choose the best partners to work with.”

The installed solution

• D1000 drip tape (Rivulis): 8 mil, 22 mm, 20 cm, 1 L/h, Activeflex, slit outlet • D900 Flap drip tape (Rivulis): 8 mil, 22 mm, 20 cm, 1 L/h • Iberoflat layflat hose • H6000 layflat hose