Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/79982
LEADER IN BIOTIC BIOLOGICAL FERTILIZERS could easily be managed in plantings at twice the density, thus roughly doubling our trial yields. Return bloom and production in the following year were not significantly reduced by crop load. Delayed harvest In 2011, we examined the effects of delayed harvest timing on fruit size and quality, Pe fe Another remarkable innovation from Perfect Blend research laboratories! nother remarkable innova ect Blend research labor BioticCalcium ™ Unique high calcium biotic fertilizers in a machine spreadable granule form. From the research and development of Perfect Blend comes a revolutionary new product! BioticCalcium™ marries the incredible topsoil carbon seques- tration benefits of biotics with the well recognized benefits of calcium. Why can BioticCalcium™ be the best calcium product you have ever applied? The answer is in the topsoil. By combining biotic nutrients focused on growth of soil microorganisms with additional gypsum to supply calcium and sulfur your soil receives the best of both chemical and biotic fertility. By adding additional calcium to a biotic formulation the uptake mechanism for many other minerals, including nitrogen, phosphates, potassium, iron, zinc and other trace minerals is greatly enhanced. BioticCalcium™ as a soil conditioner gypsum acts to provide additional free calcium ions in which flocculates soil particles opening up the soil and making it more porous. Calcium is particularly effective in breaking up compacted soil caused by sodium and clay to allow less tillage and increasing topsoil depth. Calcium promotes water infiltration, retention and conservation which allows water to become more available in chemical terms. Test show farmland treated with gypsum can require up to 33% less water. This savings along can pay for the cost of application of BioticCalcium™. Only Perfect Blend has been able to manufacture a product that is as advanced and as topsoil efficient as BioticCalcium™. Growers have used gypsum for over 200 years. The remarkable marriage of these two products creates an entirely new soil nutrient. Pasco 509.545.1865 Plymouth 509.783.4076 Moses Lake 509.766.7772 188 106th Avenue NE, Suite 401 Bellevue, WA 98004 Phone: 425.456.8890 Fax: 425.456.8889 www.perfect-blend.com 2001-2012 Perfect Blend Biotic Fertilizer © All copyrights reserved. 26 SEPTEMBER 2012 GOOD FRUIT GROWER SOURCE: Todd Einhorn www.goodfruit.com both at harvest and following extended cold storage. Fruit were harvested on four dates at weekly intervals from a high-density, trellised hedgerow planting with 906 trees per acre. The initial harvest occurred when fruit reached 12 pounds flesh firmness, which was previously determined to coincide with maximum storability. Fruit were stored in regular-atmosphere storage at 30°F and evaluated at monthly intervals for seven months. Fruit quality attributes (fruit firmness, soluble solids, total acids, extractable juice, and fruit weight) were assessed upon removal from cold storage and after seven days of ripening at room temperature. Fruit weight increased from 205 grams (box size 100) at the first harvest to 242 grams (box size 80) at the fourth harvest. Fruit firmness decreased from 12.2 to 9.9 pounds over the three-week harvest period, but fruit of each harvest timing maintained good firm- ness throughout the six-month storage period. Sugars remained at 13 percent irrespec- tive of harvest timing, and storage duration. Total acids declined in storage by roughly half, increasing the sugar-to-acid ratio. Fruit retained exceptional eating quality through six months of storage, but lost ripening capacity beyond six months. Internal breakdown was observed at the seven-month evaluation in the delayed harvested fruit. Fruit size was markedly improved by both thinning and harvest delay, without com- promising fruit quality. This pear has considerable versatility, satisfying consumers who prefer crisp, juicy pears, as well as those who prefer pears ripened to a softer texture. The five-year average full bloom date for 014 is 1.3 days before Bartlett flowering in Hood River, and it appears to be cross-compatible with d'Anjou and Bartlett. We will establish a 0.6-acre plot of 014 in Hood River in 2014. The high-density plant- ing will serve as a demonstration orchard for growers, horticulturists, and packers to visit, and will provide a volume of fruit for test marketing and sale. Todd Einhorn is research horticulturist at Oregon State University's Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River; Steve Castagnoli is OSU Extension horticulturist in • Hood River; Janet Turner is a research technician with OSU, Hood River; and Richard Bell is the pear breeder with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Kearneysville, West Virginia. Table 2 Harvest timing effects The effect of delayed harvests (one week apart) on US 71655-014 fruit firmness and fruit size. Harvest Firmness Average fruit weight Average fruit size timing 1 2 3 4 (lb) 12.3 11.1 10.7 9.9 Figure 2 The effects of harvest timing and storage duration on US 71655-014 flesh firmness immediately after removal from cold storage (day 0), and following a 7-day ripening period at room temperature (day 7). The fruit were kept in regular storage at 30°F. 10 12 14 0 2 4 6 8 01 12 34 56 78 COLD STORAGE DURATION (months) 2 Harvest 1 (Day 0) Harvest 2 (Day 0) Harvest 3 (Day 0) Harvest 4 (Day 0) 3 4 5 6 COLD STORAGE DURATION (months) Harvest 1 (Day 7) Harvest 2 (Day 7) Harvest 3 (Day 7) Harvest 4 (Day 7) 7 (grams) 217 220 239 259 (no. per 44-lb box) 90 90 80 80 FLESH FIRMNESS (lbf)