Ohio Apple Grower Sustains Less Sunburn Damage

By Growing Produce Staff|August 2, 2011

Purfresh, a leading provider of clean technologies that purify, protect, and preserve the global food supply chain, says apple growers around the world have experienced more than a 50% decrease in sun damage with the company’s solar stress protectant, Purshade. Apple crops treated with Purshade show increases in biomass production and improvements in crop quality characteristics, including size, color, and weight, resulting in fewer culls, and higher-quality, higher-value fruit.

“Our apples are healthier and less stressed from the sun with Purshade solar protectant,” said Allen Grobe of Grobe Fruit Farm in Ohio. “Using Purshade last season we experienced a decrease in sunscald, significant increase in fruit size, sharper color, and a noticeable reduction in fruit drop.”

Rated among the top three reasons for cullage, solar stress can damage the apple surface with white, yellow, bronze, and brown discoloration, and overheating can dramatically decrease internal fruit quality. Based on Advanced Reflectance Technologyâ„¢ (ARTâ„¢), Purshade was engineered to prevent solar damage and heat stress by reflecting harmful wavelengths of solar radiation such as ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) away from the plant, while still allowing transmission of sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis. Laboratory results show Purshade reflects as much as 85% to 95% of harmful UV radiation, and has been shown to keep plant surfaces 7° to 10° Fahrenheit cooler than untreated plants.

“We conducted field trials in Argentina, Australia, Chile, and the U.S. on multiple varieties of apple crops including Granny Smith, Gala, Jonagold, and Pink Lady. The Purshade treated apples experienced more than a 50% decrease in sun damage compared to the control,” said Tom Justmann, general manager, plant health group for Purfresh, Inc. “With its ease of use formulation and superior reflectance properties, Purshade continues to gain worldwide market share.”

Source: Purfresh, Inc.