The advance of the substrate in blueberries This is driving a much more precise approach to water management. When irrigation distribution becomes disordered, leaching increases, or temperature and oxygen levels in the root zone are disrupted, the system's efficiency begins to suffer. Ferreyra showed that the experience accumulated in Peru is already providing clear indications of these imbalances and the need to anticipate them in Chile with improved irrigation design, more sensors, and a more nuanced understanding of substrate behavior.

Irrigation uniformity: a difference that changes everything

One of the points Ferreyra emphasized is that, in substrate-based systems, uniform wetting becomes crucial. In comparative studies, increasing the number of emission points from two to four significantly improved moisture distribution and electrical conductivity within the pot, reducing some of the imbalances that ultimately affect system performance.

When wetting becomes uneven, the imbalance quickly spreads to the substrate and also to the plant's response.

Leaching is no longer a minor detail

Another key point of the presentation was the magnitude of leaching that can occur in these systems. Ferreyra showed cases in Peru with losses between 20% and 60% of the irrigated water, a range that already indicates a significant inefficiency in the system, not a minor deviation. Not only is water lost, but fertilizers are also washed away, costs increase, and substrate degradation accelerates.

This process also alters the material's physics. The finest particles migrate to the lower areas of the pot, changing the porosity, affecting aeration, and creating a system that is more difficult to maintain in optimal condition over time.

The temperature in the pot comes fully into the equation

The root zone appears to be another critical area. Ferreyra showed that in pots, temperatures can fluctuate well above the levels considered optimal for the root, especially in contexts like those observed in northern Peru. The color of the bag or pot significantly influences this behavior, with differences of up to 5 to 7 °C between materials.

Small irrigation pulses, commonly used to meet thermal demands, are not always sufficient to significantly reduce substrate temperature. In some cases, the applied volume is simply not enough to produce actual cooling.

Rodrigo Ferreyra at the XL International Blueberry Seminar Chile 2026 © Blueberries Consulting

Substrate degradation reduces available oxygen

Substrate degradation alters its structure and reduces the oxygen available to the roots. As macroporosity decreases and the physical properties of the material change, the system moves further away from the conditions considered optimal for [the plant/plant]. blueberryFerreyra showed that this phenomenon is already being monitored in Peru with specific sensors and that in older materials the drop in oxygen becomes evident.

This deterioration changes the management approach. As the material loses aeration and retains water in other ways, daily pulse irrigation begins to require a different approach to oxygenation.

Sensors, software, and finer decisions

Faced with these gaps, Ferreyra proposed the use of sensors and software tools that allow for more precise monitoring of water content, depletion, excess and oxygen availability, and converting that information into finer management decisions.

In this sense, the Peruvian experience appears as a useful reference for anticipating problems that are already being observed in substrate-based systems and for building a more stable water management system from the design stage.

Rodrigo Ferreyra at the XL International Blueberry Seminar Chile 2026 © Blueberries Consulting

Information about the Blueberry Convention Paracas 2026

This same technical focus will continue at Blueberry Convention Paracas 2026 on May 6th at the Aranwa Resort & Spa Hotel – Paracas, where Ferreyra will participate with the talk “Precision Water Management in blueberries".

Check the complete program. The tickets are available here and inquiries regarding booths or sponsorships can be channeled through contactoperu@blueberriesconsulting.com

Read also

Ica is growing and demands more precision: the technical contribution of Paracas 2026 to the blueberry producer

Strategy, water, nutrition and climate: the value of the Paracas 2026 rapporteurs

Stands, meetings and technical conversation: the value of networking at Blueberries Chile 2026

International Blueberry Seminars 2026: Blueberries travel through Peru, Chile, Mexico, Morocco and China

Check out our video Blueberries TV YouTube channelwhere Rodrigo Ferreyra explains how a more precise measurement of water and oxygen in the substrate helps to improve irrigation management and project productivity.