From the incidence of color as an index of harvest, to mechanisms to control the presence of pathogens in cherry exports will be discussed in a seminar that will be held in the INIA Quilamapu auditorium, in Chillán, on Tuesday, September 26 at 08:45 hours. Activity is relevant for the
productive development of this fruit in the Ñuble region and in the country.
“This seminar is important because it is the means by which we will present the research advances we have achieved in the project (Optimization of cherry harvest management), which is of great interest to producers and exporters of this fruit that has experienced great growth in recent years,” said INIA Quilamapu researcher and specialist in phytotechnology of minor fruit trees, Cristián Balbontín.
The professional highlighted that recent information will be provided, arising from the demand of the producers themselves who needed to optimize the management of the harvest of different varieties of cherry, as well as the effect of the state of ripeness of the fruit on the quality at the time of storage and arrival at the destination markets; the importance of fruit cooling technologies at the time of harvest; and the incidence of diseases that can affect the quality and final condition of the cherries.
The specialist indicated that the information was generated during the execution of a research project financed by the Regional Competitiveness Innovation Fund of the Regional Government of Ñuble, with the participation of the Ñuble Farmers Association.
He stressed that the research carried out is directly linked to the challenges faced by farmers year after year, such as transport conditions and the use of elements that can improve productivity and harvest efficiency, and which impact quality. He added that the collaboration of the Ñuble Farmers Association has been fundamental for the development of the project, which provides productive land for the study of the behavior of the different varieties.
The initiative, which is in its second year of implementation, has allowed the implementation of the Fruit Quality Laboratory at the INIA Quilamapu facilities in Chillán, a technical institution that has the necessary equipment for the analysis and quality of the fruits. Balbontín called on cherry producers in the region to participate in this free initiative, scheduled for Tuesday, September 26 at 08:45 hours in the INIA Quilamapu auditorium, by registering at the link https://n9.cl/rx0qk or by writing to pgatica@inia.cl
Sector figures
At the national level, cherry exports reached a volume of 302 thousand tons at the beginning of the year (January-May 2023), according to Odepa figures, which represents 47 % of total fresh fruit exports, which marks an increase of 6 % compared to the same period in 2022.
In terms of surface area, Chile had, at the end of last year, just over 61,500 hectares of cherries, of which 2,973 were in the Ñuble region, which represents an increase of more than a thousand hectares compared to 2019.
