Frost, rain, hail, wind and extreme heat have led to the loss of several crops in different regions of the country, and those that have not been lost due to the weather have caused more than one headache for producers, as evidenced by the last season of cherry cultivation in Chile.
Given these major changes, there is a need to cover crops to prevent possible damage, and it is now common to see different fruit trees covered with different types of protection. This is why nets, covers, film, among others, are appearing on the market.
Francisco Del Sante, CEO of Delsantek, was in Mexico sixteen years ago and was able to observe the problems that Chilean fruit was facing, mainly due to the climate changes that directly affected them, rain, heat waves and frosts. This is how he began to look for solutions to this problem in countries such as Brazil, Spain and Israel. He began marketing polymers for fruit protection, which have now become a constant in the industry.
Currently, “we have a high-density polyethylene, laminated in low density for protection from rain in the cherry orchards and we are also working on a low-density polyethylene with thermal additives to advance the cherry harvest by two weeks, which means that we have a greenhouse inside a cherry orchard.”
One of Delsantek's most relevant products is the photoselective mesh for controlling sunstroke in apple and blueberry trees, which they are installing in Chile, Peru and Mexico. It is a patented product for which they received an Avonni award, and which achieves efficiency in the use of irrigation water, since they use 30% less of this resource.
Among the advantages of these products, Francisco points out: “Productive life, less radiation, reduced water and abiotic stress and plant well-being.”
Today they are working on providing a personalized service to each producer, along with recycling these materials after use, which is why they are addressing the circular economy and have been entering into solar energy for the last four years.
Among the next steps, the company hopes to digitize, modernize and add artificial intelligence to its operations, to become a one-stop shop.
