Chile Farming – Almond Orchards

Chile Farming – Almond Orchards            January  2015

High prices and consistent international demand have made almonds an attractive business venture in Chile farming. It requires a healthy cycle and balance of the right variety of trees, pollination, bees, and climate. This article will give you a background of farming trends, market activity, and the considerations for establishing new almond orchards in Chile.

According to ProChile figures, exports of almonds in the last decade have risen steeply (260%). The primary buyers of these exports have been Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela.

Clearly, Chilean almond farms have tremendous potential for investment. But to have success in this market- or any Chile fruit/nut operation- you must produce a premium product. Here are the most important considerations for establishing a healthy almond farming operation.

Location of the Almond Orchard

Choice of the location for the orchard is the most important step for any agricultural business. Almonds require sectors with mild winters and warm springs and summers, and, above all, without a frost during the flowering stage.

The almond tree, having a low need of cold hours, is the first to bloom in the end of winter, leaving it frequently exposed to a frost, especially during the last weeks of August and the first of September. If you plant an almond orchard in an area with a frost risk between August 20 and September 30, it’s unlikely you’ll produce a consistently successful crop. For this reason, despite the demand, almond farming in Chile has not seen as great of an expansion as many other varieties of fruits, berries and nuts.

Choosing the Main variety of Almond Tree

After the location is determined, research and choose the variety to be planted. There are endless varieties of almond trees around the world. But in Chile, the most commonly used are those developed in California.

The most cultivated almond in Chile is the Non Pareil, which stands out for its smoother skin, higher kernel weight, and easier processing. This variety of almond meets all the industry requirements for major markets- another thing that made it the standard in California, and in turn for the Chilean almond industry.

Secondary varieties produced in Chile include the Mission, Carmel, Merced, Fritz and Price, but they have a later flowering/ lower yield, and often don´t meet commercial standards.

Choice of Rootstock

The variety of almonds you will cultivate will determine a rootstock selection which allows for the best form and adaption in different soil conditions, pests and climate. Today, one of the most valued attributes of the rootstock is the degree to which tree height can be controlled (dwarfism) in order to obtain smaller and easier to manage trees that still have an early production cycle.

Among the most commonly used rootstocks in Chile are the Nemaguard, Nemared, Lovel, and Marianna 26-24. Again, the standards of California almond farming are producing excellent results in Chilean farming. However, these days, the more innovative nut farming operations in Chile are experimenting and assessing the potential of hybrid dwarfism that enables a higher production, greater precocity, and easier harvesting.

It is critical that the optimal rootstocks are chosen which generate lower, dense trees, and formation of true hedges.

Using Pollinators

The main variety of almond planted is responsible for delivering the nut production, but most varieties are “self-incompatible” — they require cross-pollination (with different species of almonds) in order to produce a crop. Therefore, a second (or even a third) genetic variety of compatible almond tree must be cultivated in the same orchard. It´s important that pollen is available throughout the period the flowers are open. When you have two varieties you can extend the period of pollen release. This gives the main variety of almond a higher probability of pollination and fruit set.

According to local experts in Chile, the most effective species for pollination of Non pareil varieties are Merced, Carmel, Fritz, and Price. And the proportion of pollinating trees which must be present is 11%, which in practice means that each pollinator is surrounded by 8 of the principal variety of almonds. While you could plant more pollinators, they do not deliver good quality fruit, and therefore only the minimum necessary (11%) of the pollinating trees should be present in the orchard; and staggered in distribution if you are using a three species (two pollinators).

Bees, Bees, Bees

The last link in a healthy cycle of almond production is pollination by bees. This fruit depends on insect pollination as it cannot bee carried by the wind due to the weight of the pollen grains.

The current, local climate of the orchard is essential to whether or not the bees will fulfill their function. Bees cannot fly if the temperature is below 15°C, and that is the minimum, not a guarantee of beeing productive.

An almond tree flower is only open and fertile for two to three days. If the temperature during this period was not higher than 15° C, then the flower was not visited by bees, and so it will not bee producing any fruit/nuts (sorry, I´ll stop). Therefore, you must choose your land in Chile with consideration for bee activity/pollination, because if you don´t have the right temperature (at least for a few hours) then you wont have pollination and fruit set.

How many bees? Most American agricultural literature recommends a minimum of 6 hives/swarms of bees per hectare. However, it´s normal in Chile fruit farming to have 20 hives per hectare, as farmers seek to maximize pollination. Of course, hive rental is a significant cost, but the more beehives… the better the outcome, assuming you have the right temperatures (and all other necessary conditions). Keep this in mind when you read about high yields in Chile fruit and nut farms- they aren’t skimping on production expenses, and “plenty of hives” is only a mild example.

Rows, Spacing, and Modern Harvesting

Traditionally, the standard spacing used for most varieties on Nemaguard in Chile orchards was 6×4 meters- allowing about 400 trees per hectare; or sometimes 5×4, or 6×3 meters, which achieved a density close to 500 plants per hectare.

However, this practice has begun to change in recent years, largely due to genetic advances in the varieties of trees. The trend has been towards fruit and nut rows with only a small gap. The use of dwarfing rootstocks, for example, has allowed plantations with 3×1 meters spacing, reaching densities of 3,300 trees per hectare and even more.

This very narrow spacing has a clear objective: minimizing manual labor by achieving the greatest number of machinable tasks, particularly at harvesting.

High density fruit farming is bringing a number of benefits for producers in Chile. One of the most important is the promotion of early maturity, allowing an almond tree to reach full production two years faster than a traditional orchard.

The first harvest of a traditional almond orchard are achieved by the third year, where you can expect to harvest 300 kilos of almonds/ hectare. Once it reaches full production- typically in the sixth year- you can get about 2,000 kilos of almonds/ hectare.

In a high density orchard, however, will see some production in the first year, and about 250 kilos in the second year. Once it reaches full production (3rd or 4th year) , it would produce amounts in excess of 2,500 kilos per hectare, and you will have much more efficient and profitable harvests.

Resources:

ProChile – Chile´s Export and Trade Authority, supporting Chilean businesses

http://www.prochile.gob.cl/       (mostly in Spanish)

Association of Producers and Exporters of Chilean Nuts

http://www.chilenut.com/ content in English and Spanish

INIA  –  Chilean Agricultural Research Institute

http://www2.inia.cl/medios/biblioteca/boletines/NR34992.pdf   (Spanish)

Contact:

Dan Duke dan@ChileProperty.com USA#   412-447-1950

www.ChileProperty.com Chile mob.# +56 9 7646-6173