the Symposium on Wheats for More Tropical Environments - cimmyt

47respectively. for central AlaJuela are28.2 and 17.SoC and. for <strong>the</strong> north.21.2 and 19.9°C.Production trials would also be possiblein <strong>the</strong> lowlands (Guanacaste andPuntarenas provinces). provided wheatvarieties appropriate for <strong>the</strong> tropicswere available: <strong>the</strong>se are zones withhigher temperatures. Never<strong>the</strong>less.limitations exist to <strong>the</strong> possibility ofestablishing wheat production in CostaRica. among <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> lack of bothgovernment policy decisions andtechnical research.Aspects of GovernmentPolley DecisionSeed ayallabWt,.The National Seed Office. whichsupervises and authorizes seedproduction. relies upon privateenterprise and <strong>the</strong> National ProductionCouncil for multiplying and processingseed. It would seem advisable. in <strong>the</strong>case of wheat. to guarantee <strong>the</strong>availability of certified seed of selectedreleased varieties.MarketingThe public entity which has <strong>the</strong>responsibility of purchasing local grainshould guarantee a market for <strong>the</strong>wheat and a price equivalent to that ofimported wheat. This would prOVide <strong>the</strong>necessary stimulus to farmers to grow<strong>the</strong> new crop.BUlk creditThe Banking Commission whichadvances money to farm~rsshouldestablish a fund for wheat growers. as<strong>the</strong>y have done for <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r basicgrains. and assure that <strong>the</strong> necessaryresources are available to finance wheatproduction.Crop iD.urlUlceThe National Insurance Institute.through its crop insurance department.should guarantee protection to <strong>the</strong>wheat farmer against unexpected.unfavorable climatic conditions andoutbreaks of insect pests and plantdiseases which may cause losses.Farm machiDeryThe lack of appropiate farm machineryadapted to <strong>the</strong> topographic conditionsof <strong>the</strong> central valley. such as speciallydesigned planting. mowing andthreshing machines and binders. hasbeen one of <strong>the</strong> major factors inrestricting <strong>the</strong> expansion of wheatproduction. In o<strong>the</strong>r countries. such asItaly. Japan and Taiwan. adequatemachinery exists for <strong>the</strong>se activities. InGuatemala. in localities which aresimilar to those of Costa Rica(Quezaltenango and Chichicastenango).almost half of <strong>the</strong> wheat needed fornational consumption is beingproduced using such farm machinery.In <strong>the</strong> begining of a national wheatproduction program. an official entity.such as <strong>the</strong> National ProductionCouncil. should provide specializedfarm machinery serVice. as has beendone with o<strong>the</strong>r crops on variousoccasions. thus helping to assure <strong>the</strong>farmers' success in growing wheat.Research PrioritiesWheat research has been carried out inthree areas in Costa Rica (Figure 1).Three experiment stations are utilized(Tables 1. 2 and 3).SOU.From a fertility point of view. <strong>the</strong> soils inFraiJanes are <strong>the</strong> most problematical.with extreme acidity. trace amounts ofphosphorus. high phosphorus-fixingcapacity. high aluminum content andvery low presence of calcium.magnesium and potassium (less thanS meqll00 g soil). In order to obtaingood crop responses to phosphorusfertilization. it is usually necessary toapply P20S at 600 to 800 kgIha. anamount which is not economical. Limingis also very important for <strong>the</strong>se soils.