The cold of winter is essential for perennial plants in cold areas, while deciduous plants prevent cold damage by entering in dormancy or winter dormancy. A certain amount of chill hours is needed to end this stage of winter dormancy.
This is called chilling requirement. Winters with warm days, with a low chilling accumulation, generate a low fruit profitability as a result of flower abortion and poor fruit set, due to an altered development of the buds as well as an inappropriate mobilization of reserve metabolites.
AGRALIA is constantly searching for new and innovative technologies that help to continuously improve production management. It is for that reason that AGRICOOLER® is focused on being able to help in chilling accumulation by preventing daytime IR radiation from raising the temperature of the plants.
Methodology
A field of Agrícola El Carmelo, located in Buin, Metropolitan Region, was selected to conduct this test.
Treatments
Two treatments were stablished, in which 4 rows were selected:
T0: Unprotected cherry tree plant
T1: Cherry tree plant, with AGRICOOLER®
Evaluations
Las mediciones fueron realizadas con sensores de temperatura LOGtag.
The measurements were carried out by using LOGtag temperature sensors.
Comparative temperature measurements were carried out to evaluate the chilling accumulation in relation to T0, which is exposed and without cover vs T1, covered by AGRICOOLER®.
Conclusions
Where AGRICOOLER® maintains low levels, it can be clearly observed the difference in temperatures that is generated when there are heat rises. This way, it becomes essential for chilling accumulation and its quality in hot climates like in the middle of Chile.
Biography: Morales and Castro (2018) say that the model of chill portions fits better the conditions of the central area of Chile than other models, due to our warmer summers. The cold that accumulates can be subtracted if chill hours are followed by warm hours. SAIA Project, CEAF (Center for Advanced Studies in Fruit Growing).
Produced by the agrotechnical team of Agralia Group.