+33 680 38 14 46
Sunscreen for grapes and stonefruit
Australia
Friday 15 February 2008
A new technology, already in use in the United States, might help fruit growers protect their crops from heat stress.
Grape growers in northern Victoria have lost up to 50 per cent of their crops this year from sunburn, but this might be reduced in the future thanks to 'particle film technology', which acts like a sunscreen for fruit.
Chuck Kuppat, from Crop Microclimate Management in the US, says that while there are disadvantages, the boost to yields are significant.
"The advantages to reducing the impact of heat stress or light stress are several", he says.
"It increases yield, you can get larger fruit, and in the case of certain fruit you can increase the brix or baume (sugar content), and then in addition, you can reduce the net water use up to 40 per cent".
Grape growers in northern Victoria have lost up to 50 per cent of their crops this year from sunburn, but this might be reduced in the future thanks to 'particle film technology', which acts like a sunscreen for fruit.
Chuck Kuppat, from Crop Microclimate Management in the US, says that while there are disadvantages, the boost to yields are significant.
"The advantages to reducing the impact of heat stress or light stress are several", he says.
"It increases yield, you can get larger fruit, and in the case of certain fruit you can increase the brix or baume (sugar content), and then in addition, you can reduce the net water use up to 40 per cent".
