A special plant protectant developed by Purfresh, the provider of clean technology solutions for the purification and preservation of food and water, is helping Chilean citrus growers fight off the threat of sunburn on their fruit.

According to the group, field trials conducted on multiple citrus varieties using Purshade saw fruit including navel oranges and Eureka lemons experiencing up to 11 per cent less solar damage than untreated produce.

'Purshade is the industry's top-performing plant protectant for preventing the damaging effects of solar stress,' said Alejandro Ochagavia of GMT in Chile. 'With Purshade, the benefits go straight to the grower's bottom line. Incorporating calcium-based Purshade as part of a planned spray program helps growers maximise returns from every acre planted.'

Each year, growers risk losing 20 per cent–50 per cent of their fruit to damage from solar stress. Rated among the top three reasons for cullage, solar stress—occurring even in normal growing conditions—damages the fruit surface making the fruit less marketable and more susceptible to infection. Studies have also shown that excessive heat and sun can decrease internal fruit quality and cause splitting.

'The results seen by Chilean citrus growers mirrored those from Purshade trials conducted around the world on a variety of crops including peppers and wine grapes, which reflected 20 per cent and 12 per cent decreases in sunburn damage respectively,' said Tom Justmann, general manager of plant health group for Purfresh. 'The success we've experience further validates that Purshade can be a valuable tool to help growers improve their returns and more effectively compete in the marketplace.'

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