Dra. Tatiana Cantuarias A., and the new challenge of the fruit industry
More than three months have passed since Tatiana Cantuarias Avilés arrived at INIA La Cruz with the mission of strengthening knowledge and technologies as a specialist researcher in fruit trees. The expert comes to join the team of researchers.
His challenge is to strengthen the knowledge that implies the development of more sustainable models in the production of fruit trees in the Valparaíso Region since, as he indicates, "in Chile there is much to investigate in the area of agricultural soil management and productive ecosystems".
Dr. Tatiana Cantuarias aligns with INIA's research proposal to study for a sustainable and competitive fruit growing with a multidisciplinary approach. This implies, he affirms, "to improve the quality of the fruits from sustainable management practices that allow maintaining productivity and the economic viability of the productive business."
Today, he states, “more than ever, it is necessary to reduce the negative impact of human intervention on natural resources and restore the soil's biological quality and the power to self-regenerate its chemical and physical quality. Only in this way, we will be able to efficiently produce fruits of greater nutritional value, greater health and better commercial quality, without affecting productivity. ”
Currently, he said, "the soils are already impoverished and we continue to destroy them, leaving the slopes unprotected." When carrying out, he says, "the establishment of certain species of plants between the rows could contribute to avoid soil erosion in the first years, mainly in non-densified plantations and on slopes".
Continuing with the idea of implementing practices that restore the life of the soil in a dry condition, Dr. Cantuarias proposes to move the sclerophyllous forest to the avocado orchards from vegetative floors as an alternative to reestablish the microbial biodiversity in the soil. This type of management, says the expert, "makes it possible to unite knowledge in the area of biotechnology to isolate strains with properties such as biofertilizers, biological controllers and microorganisms that increase resistance to drought."
Another strategic issue for the avocado industry, which, in the case of the Valparaíso Region, is easy to see, is related to the rational management of water and soil as critical points in most of the national fruit industries. "The condition of the soil and the roots is the most important thing in an avocado orchard," says Dr. Tatiana Cantuarias.
The precise implementation "of a consortium system of native sclerophyllous vegetation, establishing species with shrub and herbaceous structures in the between rows of the avocado is knowledge that can be explored and evaluated, especially in avocado orchards on the slope". The vegetative floor, the specialist specifies, “creates the organic matter it needs for soil fertility and if we take care of the soil and the roots of the avocado, the orchard will have a cleaner and more sustainable production, according to the results that the producer wishes to obtain. and with the current demands of consumers ”.
Another line of research that can be studied in consortium systems of native vegetation in avocado orchards on the slope is the effect on the availability of energy resources that favor entomophilic pollination by European and native bees and other insects thanks to the presence of native vegetation in the productive ecosystem ”.
The specialist recalls that in some avocado orchards in Brazil up to 22 annual applications of different fertilizers and agricultural pesticides were made, and that thanks to rational chemical management and the implementation of management such as biofertilization, applications of rock dust to the soil and the release of biological controllers for the management of pests and diseases, the application of synthetic chemicals was reduced between 6 and 8 annual interventions, with a positive impact on the quality and health of the fruits.
Who is Tatiana Cantuarias Avilés
Tatiana Cantuarias Avilés describes herself as an energetic person, a hard-working woman, happy and grateful for what God has given her. It is structured with some flexibility, depending on the cases, and focused on the results.
She has two teenage children, Ilan (22) and Gabriel (19), who motivate, support and challenge her to find personal and job growth every day.
Direct contact with nature to keep you running is a fundamental practice in your life. Regularly practice physical exercises, runs and gymnastics.
He hardly watches television and prefers to converse with people. It has very gastronomic tastes. He likes healthy and diverse food and appreciates a good wine with a taste for trying different strains and areas.
She is convinced that work works much better with good teams where nobody is an expert in everything and people must complement each other. "I believe in collaboration and learning from each other. In the case of those who are beginning their working life, I always recommend putting a mixture of humility and believing the story ”.
After 18 years of work in Brazil, he decided to return to Chile to conduct research at subtropical fruit trees at INIA La Cruz.
Regarding his career, he explains, he worked for three years in the agricultural advisory and projects company GAMA in charge of research, an experience that was decisive to continue towards the doctorate and post-doctorate in Brazil. There, she consolidated as a researcher and advisor to the main avocado producers in the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. "Between research and private enterprise there must be mutual learning and interaction," he says.
The professional directed and participated in various applied research and technology transfer projects in her career years. In Brazil, he integrated various research projects conducted at the Avocado Research Center of the Luiz de Queiroz Higher School of Agriculture at the University of Sao Paulo (ESALQ / USP) by Dr. Simone Rodrigues da Silva and the group of graduate students .
It continues to support the development of the Brazilian avocado industry, through technical support to producers, dissemination of cultivation and promotion of new plantations in the traditional productive regions of the Southeast states and in other regions of the country, such as the Northeast.
She is happy with what she is developing here, and supports a greater link between the academic sector and industry. To spread the impact of the research, he has participated in the main world meetings in the avocado sector, instances where he has been able to strengthen the network of contacts to form multidisciplinary work teams with colleagues from other national and international institutions.
He has a doctorate and postdoctorate in the Plant Production Department, ESALQ / USP, Piracicaba / SP, Brazil, whose project title is "Reduction of the winter water deficit in rainfed avocado orchards to increase productivity and fruit quality".
She is PhD in Phytotechnics from the University of São Paulo, Higher School of Agriculture and Master in Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot, Israel where she studied stress physiology in avocados, citrus and other crops for 7 years and a half.
He is an Agronomist from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Faculty of the Faculty of Agronomic and Food Sciences.
You can contact Tatiana at tatiana.cantuarias@inia.cl
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