Climate
The greater part of Guadeloupe has a tropical wet climate, but because of the relief, some areas are less wet than the others. The dry and cool season take place from February to May, it is called: "Carˆme", the wet season (June to January) is called: "Hivernage". Guadeloupe is frequently affected by hurricanes. The highest risk is from August to October. The prevailing wind: the "aliz‚", comes from the east. The yearly average temperature is about 26°C and the yearly average precipitation ranges from 1,200 to 10,000 mm according to the altitude and the position in relation with the aliz‚.

Geography
Guadeloupe is a french overseas department. Guadeloupe consists of two main islands : Grande Terre, that is rather flat, with coral-reef limestone that evolved into vertisol, and Basse Terre, that is mountainous of volcanic origin; the soils evolved in andosols, vertisols or ferralitic soils according to the situation and the age of the concerned volcanism.
There are also some little islands, the Guadeloupe dependences : Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, La D‚sirade, Saint Barth‚l‚my and a part of Saint Vincent.

Horticulture
The flowers and vegetables cultivation is mostly done in the open fields: Alpinia is the first cultivated cut flower, then Anthurium is important too. Heliconia and Rose de porcelaine (Phaeomeria magnifica) are also produced. The main vegetable, and the only one to be exported, is melon. Then tomatoes, lettuce, and cuncumber can be found. The sheltered productions mainly concern Anthurium hybrids, tomato and lettuce. The fruit production is very low apart from banana that is not an horticultural production.

Distribution of Horticulture
Melon cultures are concentrated in the eastern part of Grande Terre. Vegetables and flowers culture in the open are traditionally done in the southern part of Basse Terre, sheltered anthurium too. Sheltered vegetables cultures take place in Basse Terre and in Grande Terre.

Research Thrusts
The two major research thrusts are the french organisations CIRAD and INRA. INRA has teams that work on genetics and pathology of ornamental plants and vegetables, and on agronomy of Anthurium hybrids.
The chamber of agriculture does some trials and demonstrations with sheltered flowers and vegetables.

Nature of Institutes
INRA Centre Antilles-Guyane is a public institute that is conducted both by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Higher Education and of the Research. CIRAD-Flhor Station de Guadeloupe is a semi-public institute (for information, see under France, CIRAD-Fhlor headquarter, Montpellier).

Organisations / Institutes:
INRA Centre Antilles-Guyane

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