Viveros Hernandorena presents important news for the almond campaign

The spring campaign for Viveros Hernandorena begins, with important novelties regarding the almond tree: innovations that guarantee greater plant health and successful solutions for common problems in plantations

Por Marga López, periodista agroalimentaria (@MargaLopez77)

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the area of almond trees in Spain in 2019 exceeded 687,000 hectares, an area of cultivation that has not stopped growing since 2014, as a direct consequence of the crisis of stone fruit trees originated , in part, because of the Russian veto.

The adaptation of the new varieties to very diverse production areas and the rise in almond prices have acted as a claim for a sector that continues to grow, supported by the strong innovation that we find in hybridizers and especially in the professionalization of companies such as Viveros Hernandorena towards this crop.

Today the almond tree represents 40% of its turnover, with a plant volume that this season will be around 300,000 almond trees, commercializing not only in Spain, but also in Portugal, Italy, France, Greece …, and with capacity to do so throughout the year thanks to the implementation of various cultivation techniques.

Thanks to the application of various techniques, they have the capacity to supply plant throughout the year.

This international positioning that Viveros Hernandorena enjoys today is the result of a firm    commitment to R&D and a clear orientation towards satisfying the needs of its clients: “We currently have a technical department made up of 4 people and an area manager, that periodically validates the different projects we work on, many of them our own and the result of observing the entire production chain ”, explains Fernando Hernandorena, Manager and Production Director of Viveros Hernandorena.

Greater health of the almond tree

One of the priority lines of work for this nursery is to offer the best plant health, and for this, in addition to continuing with Integrated Production systems, this year they have made a significant investment in the construction of a 60 m2 cold room lo that will allow them from now on to preserve the plant material for multiplication.

Along with this, another qualitative leap of the nursery in terms of health is the start-up of the cultivation tables: “Since this campaign, all the plants are grown on tables 50 cm from the ground, which in addition to greater aeration, we they allow us to avoid contact with the soil and therefore, we avoid the infection of pathogens via the roots ”, explains the Production Director.

Real solutions for the almond farmer

With a trained and prepared technical team, Viveros Hernandorena has a strong customer orientation. To satisfy his needs by providing solutions to the farmer derived for example from the mechanization of this crop.

We are referring to the height of the tutor. Since this campaign, the Hernandorena almond tree stalk is 1 meter high, compared to 90 cm before. “Most of our plants are for plantations to be harvested with a vibrator, so the farmer needed to grow the plant once planted to 1.20 cm and then make the crossing at 1 meter, and leave clean space for the clamp.

This work involves an increase in costs and labor on the farm, since it increases too much the implementation tasks in large areas. We can deliver the highest plant, with a more controlled cost for the client ”, argues Fernando Hernandorena.

 

From this campaign, the almond plant from Viveros Hernandorena has been delivered with a higher stanchion height, a higher grafting point, and in a 1-liter container

Another novelty of this campaign is the height of the graft according to the protocol. Being plants for large areas, their planting is done mechanically, and in many cases, the graft point was buried. “We have observed that if we raised the graft we eliminated a source of infection as it was not buried or so close to the ground,” explains the Production Director.

And finally, the reduction of the container. All the novelties mentioned above represent a slight increase in the cost per plant that we do not apply to the sale. To solve this handicap, Viveros Hernandorena has designed a 1 liter container, instead of 1.5l, which represents a significant reduction in costs, and thus balance costs and offer more competitive prices.

Differential Value: 3T

So far we have described innovative solutions that Viveros Hernandorena offers its farmers, but there is also a differential value that they call the 3T: Traceability, Transparency and Transfer.

Traceability: Since 2009 it has an ERP, with its own development for its production system, which allows them to have absolute control of each batch. Each plant is inventoried, in real time, daily, so that they know the stock up to date and completely. “Any client who consults us, we can instantly provide information on what plant availability we have,” adds Fernando Hernandorena.

Transfer: Thanks to this ERP, they can inform the client of the different phases in which their plant is, grafting, sprouting, delivery date … That is, the client can be informed at all times, transferring as much as possible all the information that they request as a follow-up of your orders.

Transparency: It is a transparent incubator, they put at the service of their clients all the information they require, in a faithful and safe way.

“Nurseries are a very important piece in the puzzle of agricultural production, and for this reason we believe that it is vital, and a differential value, to offer reliable information”, concludes Fernando Hernandorena.

The spring campaign is now beginning, and Viveros Hernandorena are prepared to offer the best plant, quality, and service.