Water stress consistently affects plants. Specifically, in the case of blueberries, it reduces photosynthesis, decreases its growth and reduces fruit production, among other negative effects.

Lack of water can not only reduce the current year's crop yield, but also reduce the number of flowers and fruits produced the following year. The blueberry is dependent on new wood for fruit production the following year, so the lack of water that occurs at this stage could limit the production of new canes.

On the other hand, cell division is very sensitive to water stress, and if it decreases, the size of the fruit at harvest is reduced. Even once the fruit establishes and develops the canopy, irrigation is still essential.

This issue will be addressed on August 25 of the International Blueberry Month, from the perspective of possible solutions to face the problem, in the talk "Improving the quality of blueberry fruits under water stress conditions through the use of hormonal inducers”, which will be dictated by the renowned INIA researcher, Cristián Balbontín.

Ongoing research

Cristián Balbontín is an agronomist and Manager of the Berries Breeding and Breeding Program at INIA and currently, with a team made up of Marisol Reyes Muñoz, Carmen Gloria Morales Alcayaga and Juan Hirzel Campos, he is finishing a long investigative work begun four years ago on “ Transfer and development of a product to increase tolerance to water stress and organoleptic quality of blueberry fruits through the use of hormonal and nutritional inducers”, which will surely, as a first, share in detail and depth the advances and preliminary results of their research with the group of virtual assistants, from different parts of the world, connected to the talk scheduled for Thursday, August 25.

The product

The objective of the research work of Professor Balbontín, which began in 2018, has been to develop a product to increase tolerance to water stress and the organoleptic quality of blueberry fruits through the use of hormonal and nutritional inducers, selecting and combining hormonal doses with nutritional elements. and other additions to create the ultimate product solution.

In this investigative process, it is also possible to evaluate the effect of different combinations on tolerance to water stress and the quality characteristics of fruits, in addition to designing a business model for the prototype of the product to be marketed, to finally disseminate and train blueberry producers. and people related to the crop in the use and applications of the product obtained.

Experienced and versatile investigator

Cristián Balbontín is the author or has been part of twenty research projects, among which the following can be highlighted:

“Satellite thermal zoning transfer with the use of artificial intelligence”, “Prospecting and validation of new alternatives for berries with high nutritional value to boost the industry of the Maule region”, “Endophytic microbial inoculants for protection against wood canker in blueberry”, “Protection technologies in blueberry orchards to mitigate climate risks and their impact on the yield and postharvest quality of fruit destined for the export market as fresh”, “Sustainable pest management through the development of an aerial vehicle drone (UAV) for the dispersion of biological control agents”, “Maule-Bio Bío berry plant breeding program”, “Suzukii fly transfer, fruit growing protection and employment”, “Study and validation of management factors that contribute to improving the quality and condition of blueberry fruit from the Ñuble Region”, among other investigations, also related to raspberry, cherryor the European hazel.