Cultivos de Arándanos en Colombia: Conozca el Sector y algunos Tips- TvAgro por Juan Gonzalo Angel

Twitter @juangangel Synopsis: Why invest in blueberries? In this chapter, discover their advantages and benefits. Also, learn how to perform training, production, and rejuvenation pruning. The blueberry, known internationally as "blueberry" in English, "myrtille" in French, "mirtillo" in Italian, and "heidelbeere" in German, is currently considered one of the fastest-growing fruits in consumption. In recent years, demand has grown by 20% and is expected to continue. For Colombia, the introduction of blueberries dates back to the research of American biologist William Johnson, an expert in genetics and soils for blueberry cultivation. He has been conducting trials for over 30 years in different countries across South America in search of suitable areas, soils, and conditions for blueberry production, and our country has been no exception. Its introduction has been truly novel. A project began in 2008, due to the recent growth in the marketing and consumption of products with natural and health-promoting characteristics, such as blueberries, leading to the introduction of this shrub into national agriculture. Given the success its implementation had demonstrated in several Latin American countries, the first plants were imported from the United States and Chile, making Chile the first country to adapt plants to the tropics, its environment, and agroecology. In Colombia, native plants from the blueberry family, such as Agraz, were already present. These plants originate from highland forests and páramo areas in areas surrounding Antioquia, Santander, and the Cundi-Boyacá plateau. This plant and crop, along with other berries, have been taken as a reference for the management and adaptation of blueberries. This procedure, best exemplified internationally by climate conditions relative to our environment, is Mexico and currently Peru. These countries also lack seasons and have managed to fully adapt some varieties, such as Biloxi. Blueberries represent a growing market where domestic consumption is increasingly developing and the external market has high potential. Exports to markets such as the United States and Asia are demanding, requiring high-quality plant material (genetics) and the implementation of appropriate practices, production processes, and sanitary standards. To implement the blueberry crop, investors conducted preliminary studies to identify agroecological zones suitable for the proper development of the plant species, which, due to their origin, must take into account the factors necessary for their adaptation. In this regard, several points of interest were identified in the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca, with the Bogotá Savannah being defined as an area with high potential for success for developing the plantation, thanks to the climate, soil, and proximity to the country's largest consumption center (Bogotá), as well as land tenure and access to infrastructure for export in the medium or long term. In Cundinamarca, different crops are found in municipalities such as Villapizón, Guasca, Sibaté, Zipaquirá, and La Calera. The main crop was implemented by the company Proplantas in the municipality of Guasca, and "Berry Fruit - Gachancipa" in 2008. This was implemented through a group of investors with the support of the Colombia International Corporation as a pilot project related to blueberry production in the municipality of Gachancipá, resulting in the formation of the company Berry Fruit (BF) (CCI R. P., 2010). These entities managed the import procedures for blueberry plants or plant material before the corresponding entities such as the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), and the entry and import of plant material into the country from Chile. The project, which included the participation and feasibility of the Colombian Agricultural Institute for the entry of plant material or blueberry plants of Chilean origin, aims to evaluate the adaptation of the selected materials. In order to determine the most suitable plant material, taking advantage of the extensive breeding work carried out by North American and Chilean researchers, the aim is to expand the supply of fresh fruit in different markets by developing early and late varieties, such as Biloxi and a variety like Sharpblue, which is currently being worked on to correct the presence of shekels due to the seasonality of its country of origin, Chile. Source: http://repository.lasalle.edu.co/bits... Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo www.tvagro.tv