This trial was carried out in 20 hectares and was accompanied by a number of innovations aimed at enhancing sustainability in primary production, which could have a positive impact on our carbon footprint.
Juan Altamiranda, Primary Production Manager at Citrusvil, explained:
“The biomass generated by the eradicated trees acts as a soil replenisher. For some time now, we have been working on recovering the physical and chemical components of the soil by incorporating organic waste from pruning.”
“This is complemented with service crops to enrich the soil. This way, we can let the soil rest for one year after having produced citrus crops for 25 years.”
The chip experience took place at El Rodeo Orchard, and it is only one part of a wider set of sustainable actions undertaken by Citrusvil in its primary production:
- Efficient water use:irrigation and fertigation sensors.
- Biological sustainability: selective application of biological insecticides and fungicides.
- Advanced technology: exploration/implementation of different technologies, such as drone use, that contribute to greater efficiency in growing tasks.
- Operational management: incorporation of the Agrobit operating system to improve production processes.
Altamiranda added: “Some initiatives in this comprehensive package have already been implemented while others are planned for the short term and a third group is part of our planning up to 2030. All of this is aligned with our Model of Operational Excellence (MEOC), where every technological innovation must be accompanied by adequate training.”
In 2024, zone managers and heads in the 23 orchards were trained under this model. “Our goal is to optimize the responsible and intelligent use of resources while increasing our productivity with a vision for the future,” concluded Altamiranda.