FIA states the company means to do this by utilizing instruments that improve the quality and safety of the fruit’s production. The project is carried out in the regions of Maule, Bío Bío and La Araucanía, and will aid the manual process in which organic fertilizers are used.
“The need for a system that increases the productivity of orchards by using organic applications is fundamental,” state Denise Donnay, coordinator of the initiative, and Juan Hirzel, researcher at INIA. “We have familiarized ourselves with the nutritive value of some of the organic fertilizers, but don’t know exactly how they work yet. So far, we haven’t actually implemented the new procedure, so we as yet lack the overall picture about their efficiency.”
According to FIA, the prospects are good though. René Martorell, innovation expert at FIA and the project's main supervisor, says: “In general, new fertilizer techniques show a noticeable improvement when it comes to the quality of crop. Less of it has to be discarded because of dehydration or the size of the fruits.”
When successful, the improved technology will be handed over to producers of organic blueberries. The main objective is that 60% of the industry will benefit from the innovations.
Source: Diarioladiscusion