In almost all territories or areas where industrial fruit production is spread, the advance in the use of protective covers is notable. This technology has become popular mainly due to the need to protect against the impact of climatic events on crops and also as a tool against direct pests, such as damage from birds or unwanted pollinators, as well as protection or defense against contamination of the fruit. , product of dust or nearby pesticide applications.

Multiple advantages

The utilities described above for these protection materials come together in a virtuous circle with obvious improvements in irrigation efficiency, which sometimes reaches 35% water savings, it also contributes to achieving greater efficiency in the use of products. phytosanitary. These are some of the benefits obtained by applying this crop protection technology, which in the field of the production process has resulted in increased production, both in quantity and size and greater uniformity of the fruits. , which are factors that have boosted the export rates of the fruit.

Protected blueberries

Joaquín Novoa, Commercial Manager of SERROPLAST, comments that, thanks to the experience acquired in Chile, where they have projects that total more than 1.300 hectares in different fruit crops, they have created polyethylene that are much better suited to different needs and climatic characteristics and they continue to research to offer a technology with a greater variety of uses, suitable for different countries and regions where the development of protected agriculture extends.

What is the goal of using plastic wrap on blueberries?

• The main factors that we want to protect in the case of blueberries are the damage caused by rains during the productive period, which translates into pollination problems or fruit losses due to rot at harvest. A second factor is frost protection, where the effectiveness can be very high if a suitable roof design is used. In terms of radiation and protection against strong winds, polyethylene film is also highly effective.

The executive explains that, in blueberries more than in other fruits, they have observed that the protective effect against excess solar radiation is a highly incident factor in the final quality of the fruit, due to its high sensitivity to dehydration and shock. sun presenting. This control of excessive radiation translates into faster and more vigorous plant growth, he says.

Polyethylene stands out

“The polyethylene film is the only material that ensures protection against all the aforementioned risk factors, maintaining adequate luminosity for the fruit tree in the long term. The nets, for example, do not protect from the rain, and the raffias in the medium term block radiation beyond what is recommended, which could affect the final quality of the fruit or the growth of the plant ", he emphasizes.

Joaquín Novoa explains that another achievement of the use of polyethylene covers is the modification of the phenology of the plant and, therefore, the harvest dates. “Depending on the type of film used and the design that is established, the harvest can be advanced from 7 to 10 days. If you want, in late varieties that resist well in the plant, you can use a different design and delay the harvest in the final stage, "he says.

What is the most suitable structure?

• In the case of blueberries, there are different structure systems to install the roof. The best known is the macro tunnel where you work with a closed and high-rise system, which has certain operating complexities to ventilate against high temperatures. The cost of the macro tunnel is also quite high. We began 4 years ago to work on a "semi-ventilated" system, of lower height, with a structure based on wood or metal centrals, supported by a perimeter chain from the orchard and a network of wires. The plastic cover is installed in a pyramidal shape spanning several rows, formed with 2 roof-shaped sheets and a central vent in the middle of the inter-row, which allows the exit of excessive heat and humidity from the system, and the fall of the water rain without wetting the fruit.

SERROPLAST Chile is a direct subsidiary of SERROPLAST Italia, who has more than 30 years of experience focused on the agrofruticultural industry and more than 8 years of presence in Chile, working with customized projects, in the search to satisfy the specific objective of each orchard and that of the producers.

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Further information:  contact@blueberriesconsulting.com / contact@agriculturalseminars.com or contact us at +56 9 3469 3871