On blueberry In Peru, plant health has become a strategic campaign decision. Climate variability associated with phenomena like El Niño can modify disease and pest pressure, alter the opportunity for control, and increase the risk of problems that ultimately manifest themselves at harvest, packing, or destination.

Recent experience has shown that weather events can affect agronomic planning and require a more proactive approach to crop management. In this scenario, crop health can no longer be understood as a calendar-based routine, but rather as a strategy that must be adapted to the weather, the crop's condition, and the actual pressure in the orchard.

That discussion will be part of the XLII International Blueberries Seminar Trujillo 2026, which will take place on July 8 and 9 and will bring together specialists, producers, exporters, consultants and companies linked to the blueberryThe technical agenda will address the management of key diseases and pests from a preventative perspective, connecting field decisions with the quality of the fruit that must reach international markets.

The Child as a health starting point

The health focus of the agenda will be highlighted by the presentation of Walter Apaza, an agronomist specializing in Phytopathology from the National Agrarian University La Molina (UNALM), who will address strategies to combat the El Niño phenomenon and disease control in blueberries.

This presentation will allow for an analysis of how changes in temperature, humidity, or phenological dynamics can modify disease behavior and necessitate adjustments in management strategies. The key will be to anticipate conditions that may favor pathogen development, better define intervention times, and avoid delayed responses to increasingly variable health scenarios.

For producers and technical teams, this approach is especially relevant because it allows them to shift from a reactive approach to planning based on monitoring, predisposing conditions, and the opportunity for control. In more complex campaigns, the question is not only which disease appears, but when, under what conditions, and with what strategy intervention is most appropriate.

Walter Apaza at the XXXIX International Blueberries Seminar Lima 2026 © Blueberries Consulting

Diseases: anticipating risk conditions

Within this health agenda, Botrytis appears as a disease requiring constant attention due to its potential impact on fruit quality and export condition. When environmental conditions favor its development, the risk is not limited to the orchard but can manifest itself later during harvest, post-harvest handling, or at the destination.

Within this framework, Carlos Huamán, Development Manager of Grupo Silvestre, will present a talk focused on the strategic control of Botrytis. His presentation will delve into a specific case within a broader discussion on fruit health: how to anticipate relevant diseases and adjust management decisions to protect the final condition of the fruit.

Pests under greater climate variability

The agenda will also incorporate the analysis of key pests for the blueberryProfessor Jorge Castillo of UNALM will address the impact of El Niño on the main crop pests in Peru, incorporating a perspective on how climate variability can modify their dynamics, their times of appearance and the intensity of pressure on orchards.

This reading will be complemented by a presentation from José Ramón Saucedo, a plant health scientist at Driscoll's Mexico, who will address control strategies for mealybugs and thrips. Both pests require constant monitoring and timely decisions, especially when their presence can compromise the commercial quality of the fruit or increase the complexity of management in the lead-up to harvest.

For producers, the challenge lies not only in controlling an existing pest, but in anticipating how the climate, crop phenology, and regional pressure can change the health scenario of the season.

José Ramón Saucedo at the Blueberries Mexico International Seminar 2022 © Blueberries Consulting

Health, quality and business continuity

Beyond the specific behavior of each disease or pest, the common denominator will be the need to strengthen integrated management, improve monitoring systems, and act promptly in response to changes in health pressure.

In a crop whose fruit must meet high quality standards to supply international markets, health extends beyond the production level. An effective health strategy directly impacts the condition upon arrival, post-harvest life, compliance with trade programs, and buyer confidence.

In this context, the technical meeting in Trujillo will allow for the gathering of experiences and analyses aimed at better understanding the health risks facing the Peruvian industry. blueberryIn a supply chain that competes on quality and consistency, anticipating diseases and pests not only protects the orchard; it also protects the fruit that must arrive in good condition at its destination and sustain the commercial value of Peruvian blueberries.

Information about the seminar:

The XLII International Blueberries Trujillo Seminar 2026 will be held on July 8 and 9 at the Costa del Sol Wyndham Trujillo Golf Hotel.

You can get yours Tickets HERE    stands: contact@blueberriesconsulting.com WhatsApp +56 9 3469 3871

Check out the summary of the XXXVII International Blueberries Seminar Trujillo 2025 on our Blueberries TV Youtube channel  

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