Development of protected structures for blueberry cultivation

Blueberries have become one of the most popular crops in recent times due to their significant nutritional and antioxidant benefits, leading to an exponential increase in consumption in both developed and developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. It is a seasonal crop, harvested between March and August in the Northern Hemisphere and from November to March in the Southern Hemisphere, with a window in October and November when fresh blueberries are difficult to find. Recently, numerous plantations have been established in countries such as Chile and Peru.

MSC's R&D team is committed to developing new technologies for protected blueberry cultivation structures, taking a further step towards technologically advanced structures with the possibility of internal climate control. Traditionally, blueberries have been grown in tunnel and macro-tunnel structures, which do not allow for reaching the production window of October and November. With the new facilities designed for this purpose, we have used a lightweight greenhouse model with automated mobile vents, which allow us to maintain temperatures during the winter months of the Southern Hemisphere. Along with the use of high-quality, extra-early varieties, we aim to produce fresh, high-quality fruit during the months when the price of the product is extremely high.

 

Due to the increase in production areas, we have also successfully installed our first super-intensive nursery for healthy and certified blueberry seedlings, where we use well-sealed mesh houses with mesh fixing by means of polygrap, to prevent the attack of harmful pests that can transmit viruses or diseases harmful to the plants that will later be sown in the field.