Agrícola La Hornilla – Fundo Santa Ines

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Producing More with Less
Cristián Allendes is an innovative and experienced farmer with a life-long vision to “produce more with less”. His fields are located in a privileged area of central Chile, with a Mediterranean climate and fertile soils that allow for the harvest of tasty and quality fruits. He is recognized in the area as a leader in the implementation of modern agricultural techniques, with a strong commitment to the environment and his workers.
Part of the success of the Santa Inés farm is due to its distinctive design of high-density planting. Cristián Allendes knows that one of the future’s great challenges will be to feed the growing population with less arable land, and this method adapts to that reality. The system allows for between 2.5 and 4 times more plants per hectare than in a traditional orchard and achieves production quickly. Good fertilization is also a critical part of improving productivity and reducing the use of natural resources. To help accomplish this, a drip irrigation system has been incorporated on the farm, which controls and distributes the necessary amount of fertilizers, avoiding the contamination of surface waters. A weather station on the farm allows Allendes to monitor temperature, humidity and wind speed (among other factors) in real-time, and thus collect climate data to make timely decisions on the use of crop protection products – help ensure crops are protected in a way that is safe for people and the environment. Farm workers participate regularly in training to improve standards in handling and safe use of products and machinery.
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Farm name and location: Calera de Tango, near Santiago, Chile.
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History: Agrícola La Hornilla Ltda. was established in 1986 in Melipilla and grew to include Fundo Santa Inés in 2012. Today, Cristián manages the fields with his children, Cristián Jr. and Benjamín.
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Farm Size: 158 hectares.
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Primary crops: Table grapes, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines and sunflowers.
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Notable partnerships: AgroSucces, Agroservicios TecnoTrans-Billo, Aquitania Equipos-LectroBlast, Agroriego, CDTEC, LBTRACK.
The 158 hectare Agrícola La Hornilla in Chile has been in operation since 1986. Click through the carousel to learn more about this Bayer ForwardFarm.
The 158 hectare Agrícola La Hornilla in Chile has been in operation since 1986. Click through the carousel to learn more about this Bayer ForwardFarm.
4. Efficiency in agricultural tasks: Platforms to facilitate and improve thinning, pruning and harvesting, ensuring greater efficiency and safety in agricultural tasks.
4. Efficiency in agricultural tasks: Platforms to facilitate and improve thinning, pruning and harvesting, ensuring greater efficiency and safety in agricultural tasks.
5. Weather and irrigation monitoring: Real-time information on weather conditions assists in achieving the correct use of crop protection products and optimal irrigation.
5. Weather and irrigation monitoring: Real-time information on weather conditions assists in achieving the correct use of crop protection products and optimal irrigation.
8. Targeted applications: Efficient product application with electrostatic machines, which achieve better coverage, use less water, cause less drift and increase user safety.
8. Targeted applications: Efficient product application with electrostatic machines, which achieve better coverage, use less water, cause less drift and increase user safety.
9. Water protection: Phytobac®: sustainable management of wastewater from cleaning equipment in a in a process that biologically breaks down crop protection product residues.
9. Water protection: Phytobac®: sustainable management of wastewater from cleaning equipment in a in a process that biologically breaks down crop protection product residues.
11. Healthy hives for pollination: Demonstrating good hive-management practices for healthy bees, ensuring optimal pollination services to the farm.
11. Healthy hives for pollination: Demonstrating good hive-management practices for healthy bees, ensuring optimal pollination services to the farm.

Happy Pollinators
Biodiversity is essential for agricultural production. Although one third of the crops that are fundamental to humans are pollinated by bees, there are many other wild pollinator species that also contribute to this task. On the Santa Inés farm, concrete measures have been taken to enrich the habitat of pollinators, improve their diet and help them proliferate, including sowing 1,000 square meters with rows of various wildflower species, such as bloomers – a mix of 30 species of annual and perennial flowers – to ensure that pollinators have food throughout the year.
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We're happy to connect with you! Contact Alan Peter Lüer Barbieri with any questions or inquiries.