While the Chilean white strawberry forms part of the genetic make-up of practically every commercial strawberry in existence, the variety in its purest form is seldom consumed. In fact, nowadays it's more likely to find a locally-grown white strawberry - known as the pineberry - in a Dutch supermarket than a Chilean one.

There are a few regions in Chile where the pineberry can be grown but the most emblematic of all would be around the Nahuelbuta Mountain Range in the districts of Purén and Contulmo.

These areas span the Biobío and Araucania regions, in an area south of the country's second-largest city, Concepcion. 

Growers have been producing the white strawberry here for many years and in the 80s its cultivation was abundant. However, different factors have meant the crop is losing ground and production is now very low.

"They have a memory of something wonderful, because thanks to the golden age of white strawberries they bought their fields and properties," said Cecilia Céspedes, who is heading up a pineberry revival project with the Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA).

Based out of the INIA's regional center in Quilamapu, Chillan, the project has the objective of valuation and rescue for the crop, with a strong focus on small growers in Nahuelbuta and agro-ecological production.

"Their yields dropped by a lot and now that's in flowering as well - we need to find out why," Céspedes told www.freshfruitportal.com.

"The goal is that they can increase their yield but with agro-ecological management to improve soil quality."

At the INIA Quilamapu station, white strawberry plants have been grown in-vitro and are free of disease.

"In total there will be 6,000 plants, which will multiply, and they have all multiplied this year and we have been taking them and planting them. But it happens little by little," Céspedes said.

In parallel, the project has included training workshops for growers.

"The first thing we did was bring them all together in a group to be able to work on the same objective.

"One month we met in Contulmo and another month it was in Puren, because we have two validation units where producers are learning.

The workshops adopt a "learning by doing" approach, with key focus points including soil management and biodiversity.

She said one thousand plants were planted in June as part of a demonstration for growers, and more recently a further 1,040 plants were put in the ground.

"The dream is to be able to have another project that would allow us to respond to physiological questions about the plant, to be able to increase production, and then think hopefully for a geographical indication and that they will be able to sell overseas with seals, good profitability and returns that pay for all the effort of so many years."

The project is supported by funding from the Agricultural Innovation Fund (FIA) and the municipalities of Puren and Contulmo.

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