During his visits to various farms across Mexico, CASM Blueberries international advisor Simón Muñoz focused on the progress of the plants’ vegetative development, particularly considering that most pruning was carried out between June and July.
According to the field assessment, the crops are showing favorable vegetative development, with vigorous plants and good overall health. “The plants look quite healthy, and our clients are very happy,” the advisor noted.
The field observations are particularly significant, as the orchards are currently at a key stage for consolidating their productive structure and making the most of the final months of growth before moving into a new production season.
An Early Case: Flowering in an Orchard Located Above 2,000 Meters
Among the fields evaluated, a particularly noteworthy case was an 18-hectare trial developed by Berries Paradise, located at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters above sea level.
The first flowers are already visible in this orchard, indicating considerably earlier development than that recorded across much of the Mexican industry.
This early development is the result of a strategic management decision. According to Muñoz, the company carried out early pruning in March, with the aim of maintaining fruit availability in the U.S. market for a longer period.
As a result, the orchard has plants showing very good vigor, development, and plant health, and is currently at a more advanced phenological stage compared with other blueberry orchards in the area.
Management Adjustments to Enhance Yield Potential
Along with assessing the condition of the plants, the work carried out in the fields made it possible to identify management opportunities to optimize development over the coming months.
In this regard, Muñoz made adjustments to the fertilization programs and various management strategies, with the aim of making the most of the final two to three months of vegetative growth. “The objective is to develop the final productive laterals of our plants and achieve greater production volume and better quality,” the advisor explained.
This stage will be crucial in determining the productive capacity of the orchards, as proper development of the productive laterals will help build a plant structure capable of supporting a good fruit load during the upcoming season.
Thrips Pressure: One of the Main Challenges
From a plant health perspective, the overall scenario observed during the visits was positive. However, one of the main areas of concern at present is thrips pressure, particularly on shoots undergoing vegetative development.
Aside from this, Muñoz highlighted the plants’ good overall health status, which provides positive prospects for the coming months and allows efforts to focus on optimizing growth and productive structure.
