Faced with growing international market demands for uniform, traceable, and high-quality fresh fruit, Chile’s Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) introduced, through a press release, the “Digital Report,” a tool designed to optimize blueberry production and exports through digital agriculture technologies, data science, and predictive models.
The innovation, developed by the Data Science Unit at INIA Quilamapu in Chillán and led by agronomist Paula Vargas, integrates technical and laboratory data to support decision-making by growers, exporters, and technical teams, helping improve the quality and competitiveness of Chilean fruit in international markets.
The system analyzes key variables such as Brix levels, acidity, anthocyanins, calcium content, and dry matter, enabling the evaluation of attributes including sweetness, firmness, color, and postharvest potential. It also incorporates predictive models capable of forecasting fruit performance during storage and transportation.
To address postharvest management challenges, the platform integrates physiological, structural, and risk-related variables into predictive models that anticipate fruit behavior after harvest. This information supports decisions regarding harvest timing, lot segmentation, storage strategies, and market destination.
Another key feature of the Digital Report is its visual and user-friendly approach. Information is organized through tables, graphs, and integrated indices that allow for rapid interpretation and easy identification of differences in quality, stability, and postharvest potential within each production block.
According to INIA, this technology represents a strategic advancement for strengthening the competitiveness of Chile’s blueberry industry, particularly in meeting the increasingly demanding requirements of markets such as the United States, Europe, and Asia.
