In Chile, the Blueberry Committee, in collaboration with Universidad de Concepción, INIA, and supported by Corfo, initiated blueberry demonstration pilots in 2017 in the south-central region to assess and introduce superior blueberry varieties. This initiative aims at enhancing fruit yield, quality, and overall profitability for producers through strategic varietal replacement and effective crop management. Julia Pinto, the technical manager, highlighted the project's goal to equip producers with comprehensive, independent data on variety performance, including productivity, adaptability, and post-harvest behavior, thus facilitating informed decision-making.
The pilots began with varieties like Blue-Ribbon, Top Shelf, and Legacy, expanding to include Peachy Blue, Loreto Blue, Blue Moon, and selections from the University of Florida such as Optimus, Meadowlark, Indigo, and Keecrisp, alongside Arabella Blue from Fall Creek. This initiative does not encompass club varieties but focuses on those requiring royalty payments, granting producers marketing flexibility. The project emphasizes early-stage variety characterization, assessing flowering and harvesting times, structural needs, disease resistance, and post-harvest quality in collaboration with the University of Chile's CEPOC.
Furthermore, the program evaluates variety resilience against extreme weather events and their response to post-harvest technologies and protocols mandated by international markets, including treatments like Methyl Bromide for the U.S. These comprehensive efforts aim to bolster the Chilean blueberry industry's competitive edge by ensuring the adoption of varieties best suited to local conditions and global market demands.
Source: blueberriesconsulting.com