Grafting and varietal change. Pablo Muñoz: "The experience of Spain is perfectly replicable in Chile"
Compared to the Spanish experience, it can be concluded that the kilos in Serida's project may be superior to the Chilean experience in its first year, but in terms of caliber, the results of the Universidad de Concepción project are far above.
Within the balance of the last seasons of the Chilean blueberry industry, in addition to the volumes and prices, this is the worrying finding of the problems of quality and condition of arrival of fresh fruit to some markets of destination. All the experts and analysts conclude that the varietal change is urgent to reverse this reality. The task is not easy, because in addition to signifying a strong investment in the industry, which fluctuates around USD15.000 per hectare, it implies a long time without commercial production.
The operation is nothing less than ripping out the old plants and replacing them with the new ones to start the production process from scratch. However, there are viable initiatives that consist of replacing the grafting technique, as in other fruit species, especially in small-sized crops.
The cranberry, unlike other fruit species, does not multiply in nurseries by grafting, due to its own growth pattern, since it is a shrub that is formed with several main branches that in most cases do not leave from the same trunk, but sprout from the crown of the plant at ground level. However, when an adult plant is grafted, with its structure already formed, the difficulties in cultivation are minimal.
Spanish initiative
In Asturias, Spain, a team of the Regional Service of Research and Development Agroalimentario, Serida, headed by Juan Carlos García, started a program in 2006 of grafting in blueberries having auspicious results to date.
On the left, newly grafted plant (March 2006). On the right, Plant grafted during the first year of growth (July 2006). (Photographs JC García)
The work was started on a plot of 1000 m2, with 240 plants from 16 years old of the variety "Herbert", to a planting frame of 1,5 mx 2,0 m (3.000 plants / ha). At the beginning of February, all the plants were cut to a height of 40 cm from the soil, leaving 5 branches per plant that were grafted at the beginning of March with the variety "Elliott", by means of the slit graft system.
The total time used in the first year to perform the different tasks for the variety change was 23 minutes per plant, which is 1.150 hours for one hectare with 3.000 plants. Operating costs in the first year were 3 euros per plant, or 0,60 euros per graft performed.
The 2007 obtained the first harvest of the grafted plants, with a production of 3,5 kg. per plant (0,7 kg per grafted branch), which is equivalent to 10,5 t / ha for this planting density, with an average fruit weight of 1,65 grs.
Chilean experience
In the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Concepción, the Agronomist and Master of Science, Pablo Muñoz, has been developing graft studies for over a year with the aim of replacing varieties.
We talked with him to know about his results.
"The grafted plants in 2015 were harvested between November and December 2016. That is, 13-14 months after grafting, with a production of 0.7 kg. to 1.5 kg per floor”, He tells us, and adds that in varieties such as Legacy, at a cultivation density corresponding to 3.333 plants per hectare, a production of approximately 4.800 kg / ha was obtained. In other varieties of blueberry, such as Duke, 0.85 g was obtained. per plant, equivalent to 2.800 kgs / ha.
On the left, Duke graft, on the right, graft with Legacy, one year producing. (Photos Pablo Muñoz).
The researcher tells us that in the year 2016 carried out trials of replacement of varieties from the VII to the IX Region of Chile, grafting Duke, Brigitta and Legacy, on O`neal, Bluecrop, Chandler and Elliott, that is to say on varieties that the market is leaving out due to quality problems and arrival condition to the destination markets.
The professional estimates that according to their results, compared with the Spanish experience, it can be concluded that the kilos in the Serida project may be superior to the Chilean experience in its first year, but in terms of calibrating the results of the project of the Universidad de Concepción are well above, since they are getting 2 to 3,2 grs. for fruit, against the 1,65 grs. obtained by the Spaniards in their first year. Remember that for export fruit, a minimum of 1,6 grs is generally required. by fruit, and in Asia on 2,5 grs.
By way of conclusion, Professor Muñoz states that the Spanish experience is perfectly replicable in Chile, you can even get better results in terms of size and quality of fresh fruit for export. Ensures that, with the method of grafting plants, clearly the amounts of investment are much lower and affordable for small and medium farmers.
Source: Blueberries Consulting - Blueberries Chile
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