Margarita Torres, Comex manager, Asociación Viveros de Chile and main editor of the Viveros 2020 Yearbook

Margarita Torres, Comex manager, Asociación de Viveros de Chile and main editor of the 2020 Viveros Yearbook, explains the importance of varietal replacement in fruit growing. Torres maintains that the main thing in this process is to adapt to changes and consumer trends in the international market, not only in organoleptic characteristics such as flavor, color, firmness, seedless products, good caliber, among others, but also to be able to reach at the right time and in the best conditions, which requires varieties with a high post-harvest capacity that can reach the most distant markets in Chile, such as China and other Asian countries.

"With varietal replacement and new genetics we can improve adaptation to new edaphoclimatic conditions (soil and climate) to explore new growing areas, as well as adapt crops to mechanization and management in high planting densities," he says.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

The expert argues that today there is an important factor to consider which is climate change and therefore varieties resistant to increasingly intense and frequent events are required, such as droughts, frosts, out-of-season rains, etc. And based on this, the genetics propagated by nurseries is key.

On the other hand - he clarifies - it is important to remember that the varieties must also be profitable for the fruit grower, therefore, higher yields, better calibers, the need for fewer and simpler handling in the field is sought, requiring fewer product applications.

"In this sense, the replacement is also necessary when opting for varieties that allow expanding the export window and that can be harvested on dates where the supply is not concentrated and therefore better returns are obtained," he says.

He adds that Chile has been betting for several years on the genetic replacement in species of great importance such as table grapes, apple trees and berries, in which the desired characteristics for consumers, producers and exporters have been incorporated, reaching the end of the chain with top quality products.

What about blueberries? How has this varietal change been? What characteristics are being privileged?

• In blueberries, the new varieties come mainly from genetic programs in the United States and Australia that have been introduced in recent years to Chile. These programs came to represent 2019% of the blueberry plants marketed in the country in 68.
  
  Among them are varieties from the University of Florida, among which Emerald is the most relevant; Suzie Blue and Ochlockonee stand out from the University of Georgia, while Fall Creek developed varieties such as Blue Ribbon and Top Shelf in its breeding programs.
  
  

  For their part, traditional free varieties, such as Duke and Legacy, continue to represent a significant percentage of the plants traded, both constituting around 30% of the blueberry plants traded nationally last year.
  

  The MBO program includes early, mid, and late season varieties, with Eureka and Twilight among the most recognized.
  

  The main characteristics that are sought to improve with the new varieties of blueberries are to achieve greater caliber and firmness, as well as higher yields. In blueberries it is very important to maintain a good postharvest condition to ensure a good arrival in the export markets. All these characteristics, plus the correct choice of the edaphoclimatic zone where the crop will be established, are key to the success of the plantations.

What are the varieties that are being displaced?

• The free varieties of blueberries that were planted years ago, such as O'neal or Jewel, have been displaced by new varieties protected from the different international genetic programs, which present characteristics such as better production yields and better characteristics of the export fruit already mentioned. , the most important being firmness. On the other hand, other traditional varieties that are still desired by producers are Legacy and Duke, given their productive characteristics and good fruit quality. The new varieties, introduced in recent years, however, are currently covering a large part of the plant marketing market for new agricultural projects.

What happens in the southern zone?

• In the southern zone, the varieties that adapt to the conditions of each locality must be established, with varieties that allow meeting the requirements imposed by each zone (mainly cold hours and soil conditions).

How expensive is the varietal replacement process?

• Varietal replacement does not only refer to the use of protected varieties, in which case the payment of royalties should be considered in the costs. Thus, depending on the particular contract with the licensee, generally a cost per plant or a cost per planted area is applied. Both the amounts and the payment method are specifically established for each genetic program.
  
  In the case of opting for free varieties, only the value of the plant should be considered, in addition to obviously the cost of the cultural work prior to the establishment of the new crop.