how do market gardeners adapt?

Six years ago, Pierre Bot, a market gardener, already wanted to protect his crops from drought. While it hit France hard, he was convinced by its drip system and its black tarpaulin which retained the humidity. “The mulch on the ground limits evaporation into the atmosphere, and all the water that is brought in, the idea is that it be optimized for the growth of the plant and the fruits”he explains.

He uses half a liter per shot per day. When that’s not enough, he uses a spray irrigation system. In total, these techniques enable him to save up to 70% of water. Vincent Commeau, a cereal farmer from Angevin, has meanwhile made a more radical choice: to give up his corn crop, for quinoa. “It’s a crop that requires less water”, he justifies. It saves 1000 m3 per hectare, and uses less pesticide and labour. To develop their crops in the face of more regular droughts, everywhere in France, more and more farmers are also being accompanied by agricultural engineers.