The Chilean blueberry season continues to progress, with orchards at different stages of development depending on the region. In recent weeks, Sebastián Ochoa, director of CASM Blueberries and founder of Blueberries News, has visited orchards between the Valparaíso and Los Lagos regions.
One of the differences he has observed compared with the previous season is the timing. Last year, orchards in southern Chile were around 20 days ahead in their development. “The main difference compared with last year is that everything is on schedule; it is no longer ahead. This year, everything is progressing normally. I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary,” Ochoa explains.
In the Valparaíso Region, the harvest continues to progress, with volumes increasing. “The fruit is looking good, with no problems. Everything is healthy, with good-quality fruit and no issues,” he says. In O’Higgins, orchards already have formed fruit that continues to develop, while plants in the southern regions are currently in bloom.
Rain and cold weather delay the start of fertilization
Weather conditions in recent weeks have also affected orchard management, particularly in southern areas. “The weather has been quite unstable, with a lot of rain and cold temperatures. This has made it difficult to start fertilization, so we are implementing management practices to support the plants,” the consultant explains.
Despite these conditions, he highlights the results of the management practices implemented during this period. “Despite the heavy rains, I haven’t seen any Botrytis. Plant health management has been carried out properly and the applications have worked, so there have been no problems,” he emphasizes.
Regarding fruit volumes, Ochoa has not identified any significant differences compared with the previous season so far. “Fruit volumes are similar, with no differences. And further south, fruit volumes are also within normal levels,” he says.
