FREMONT, CA — Purfresh, a leading provider of clean technologies that purify, protect, and preserve the global food supply chain, today announced that apple growers around the world have experienced more than a 50 percent 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 Mr. 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 Technology™ (ART™), 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 85-95 percent of harmful UV radiation, and has been shown to keep plant surfaces 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit (3-6 degrees Celsius) cooler than untreated plants.
"We conducted field trials in Argentina, Australia, Chile, and the United States on multiple varieties of apple crops including Granny Smith, Gala, Jonagold, and Pink Lady. The Purshade treated apples experienced more than a 50 percent decrease in sun damage compared to the control," said Mr. 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."
Developed by experts in solar stress crop protection, the calcium-based Purshade family of products is easy to mix, apply, and remove; are highly compatible with other products; and can be applied with standard spray equipment. Incorporating a Purshade solar protectant into a preventative spray program, for conventional or organic production, helps maximize the value of every treated acre by reducing solar-related losses, increasing yield potential, enhancing crop quality, and improving water use efficiency.
About Purfresh, Inc.
An innovator and market leader, Purfresh offers a range of clean, science-based solutions for the global food supply chain. Designed to purify, protect, and preserve fresh produce, Purfresh's crop management products and cold chain solutions couple proven science with advanced technology to optimize the quality and safety of produce as it moves from the farm to the consumer. Serving more than 1,500 customers in 50 countries, Purfresh and its global partners help companies maximize yields, reduce losses, expand market opportunities, and deliver safer, higher-quality produce to the market. For more information, visit www.purfresh.com or www.purshade.com. Follow Purfresh on Twitter and Facebook.
Source: Purfresh, Inc.
