An extensive program, which will address the main aspects of the reality and challenges of the Mexican blueberry industry, will be held during the two days of the XXII International Blueberry Seminar that will take place at Expo Guadalajara on May 25 and 26.

The meeting promises to be of great interest, because the Mexican blueberry industry is one of those that is in full growth and consolidation, introducing new varietal alternatives, diversifying its destination markets for the fruit, growing in product quality, and advancing in all lines to be a sustainable industry.

state of the industry

The first day will begin with a complete report and analysis of the current situation of blueberries in Mexico and the challenges to be faced in the short and medium term, by Rigoberto Guerrero, CEO of Hortifrut México.

Then there will be another interesting presentation on the strategic perspectives of the Mexican industry, addressing specifically and in detail the place of blueberries from Mexico in the North American market, the main market in the industry, by Miguel Ángel Curiel, vice president and general manager. from Driscoll's Mexico.

root and firmness

After this block, which is essential to know the current state of the Mexican industry and the possible variants to develop to grow in competitiveness and take advantage of the commercial opportunities of the market in a more effective way, the meeting program delves into the root aspects of the cultivation in substrate, by Gerardo Núñez, from the University of Florida, and the strategies to optimize the firmness in the fruit, presented by Professor Jorge Retamales, renowned researcher and international consultant.

Fertilization, phytosanitary challenges and pots

In the afternoon, the subject of biofertilization in blueberries will be addressed, by the specialist and doctor from the University of Salamanca, José Flores Félix, and the interesting talk by José Ramón Saucedo, Driscoll's phytosanitary scientist, on the current phytosanitary challenges of blueberries in Mexico. Closing the first day of the Seminar, the main fundamentals of the production of blueberries in pots, a very recurrent management in Mexico and the world, will be addressed by Raúl Olivares, a specialist from the University of Chile.

Nutrition

On the second day, corresponding to May 26, the different aspects related to the nutrition of the crop in its different phenological stages and management, both in soil and in pots, will be discussed in detail, exposed by specialists Gerardo Núñez, from the University from Florida, Flavio Lara, agricultural director of Expoberries and Juan Hirzel, INIA international consultant, who will address potassium nutrition and the use of nutritional supplements for cultivation.

Round table

Closing the solid program of the two days of the XXII International Blueberry Seminar in Guadalajara, an interesting round table will be held, in which the participating rapporteurs will participate, Jorge Retamales, Gerardo Núñez, Flavio Lara and Juan Hirzel, with whom they will be able to delve into the topics covered in the meeting and the possibility of raising new topics or aspects not covered in the talks, which may be of interest to Mexican producers or to those attending the meeting.

In summary, the meeting promises to be of great interest to the attendees, mainly to Mexican producers, who are a fundamental part of an industry that is growing and consolidating on the global stage, advancing in all lines to be a sustainable industry.