75 % less bitter pit in apples due to Calcium mobilisation by AMALGEROL

Sometimes apples get rotten spots after long storage. This phenomenon is  known as "Bitter Pit" and is associated with a lack of calcium in the soil.

 

In this trial in North Croatia, conventional plantation apple trees (variety Idared, root stock M9) were sprayed 6 times with AMALGEROL in 2 week intervals.

AMALGEROL was added to the tank mix with a concentration of 0,15 % (water use 600 l/ha). In a second variant AMALGEROL was combined with Ca-Nitrate in 0,3 % concentration.

After 231 days of storage (over 7 months) apples were evaluated concerning bitter pit symptoms in May.

The result was astonishing: all untreated apples were affected by bitter pit (affection rate 100%). In contrast, only one quarter of the AMALGEROL treated apples were affected by bitter pit. The combination with Ca-Nitrate could only slightly decrease this rate furthermore (Fig. 1). In addition, AMALGEROL reduced the number of fallen fruits at harvest by 3,7 % (saves in average 1,5 t of apples).

This trial suggests that AMALGEROL is able to mobilise calcium in the soil so that it becomes available to the apple tree.