Whenever a bumper crop is on the horizon, growers face the same fear: too much rain.
Whether it’s cherries, grapes, apples or blueberries, the rain that’s so important for keeping bushes, trees and vines alive, can quickly turn into a problem that swells fruit, causing cracking and rot.
Helicopters and wind machines are helpful, but they are costly solutions that require connections, planning and coordination.
The proactive answer: Parka
Instead of this reactive approach, Parka, from Cultiva, is a proactive solution. Christopher Hargrave, technical sales representative for the Pacific Northwest, says Parka, which is powered by SureSeal™, is a market leader in plant and fruit cuticle protection. Not only does it strengthen the cuticle, it also improves stress tolerance, protects fruit quality and ensures more marketable fruit makes it to harvest.
“Particularly in British Columbia, growers have used Parka in anticipation of a rain event,” says Hargrave. “That’s certainly a very valid way to use it. It’s hydrophobic, so it helps prevent that water infiltration.”
But Parka can help long before harvest—right from fruit set. Applying the foliar spray to cherries, blueberries and other fruit crops can help with sun and rain damage down the road by preventing microfractures unseen by the human eye. And with its highly flexible elastic properties, it expands with plant and fruit growth to allow for more efficacy from each application.
“Some of those splitting problems in fruit actually happen earlier on in the season,” says Hargrave. “Those microfractures in the fruit’s cuticle form very early. You just see the effects of them later on as the fruit grows.”
Being proactive and preventing microfractures from forming leads to greater quality and more marketable fruit at the end of harvest. And because Parka is clear and made from food-safe ingredients, there is no concern about application timing whether it’s destined for young plants or mid-harvest.
Parka is permeable, so it ensures continued transpiration and gas exchange, which allows plants to breathe normally. Applying it to the whole tree, bush or vine reinforces leaf health, giving an extra layer of protection.
“The cuticle is the entire outside surface of the fruit, but also the leaves and branches on the trees,” Hargrave says. “Microfractures develop in the cuticles on the leaves just as they do with the fruit.”
As microfractures in the leaves are minimized, plants see improved water use efficiency, which helps reduce plant stress and ensures strong root systems in heat events.
Compromised leaves simply aren’t able to regulate the transpiration of the plant as efficiently as those treated with Parka.
“The founders and team at Cultiva, and the farmers themselves, found that giving this extra strength to the cuticle benefits the whole plant, not just the fruit,” he says. “There’s no registration number, it’s CFIA exempt, so you can apply it to anything. We’re seeing people applying it to new plantings to make them stronger.”
The Cultiva team reports improvement in uniform growth and stronger and more developed foliage in young plantings. When young vines, bushes and trees can better regulate, increase transpiration and reduce stress. They grow faster, are healthier and perform better overall than plants that haven’t been treated with Parka.
“Being proactive with your cuticular protection leads to increased yields at the end of the day,” he says.
“Growers have a significant investment in establishing a new orchard, vineyard or berry field, so providing these foundational plant health benefits is a great start to ensure that investment is going to pay off,” says Hargrave. “Some of the replantings that are happening right now in B.C. could benefit from this strategy.”
Parka also helps fight sun and wind damage. Not only does it repel water, reduce microfractures and improve cuticle elasticity, it also improves photosynthesis and cell membrane stability. When temperatures are sitting at 29°C, it’s time to apply for heat and sun support.
Spray your way
Cultiva recommends applying Parka to cherries three times in a growing season. The first application at fruit set, the second at straw colour and the third about two to three weeks later.
The recommendation is similar for blueberries, grapes and apples. The continued application enhances cuticle formation and strength, which supports the plant in all types of stress.
With flexibility inherent in Parka, it expands as the fruit grows, with reapplication needed as it eventually washes off and/or degrades through UV exposure.
“Growers have said their trees just look healthier with Parka applications,” he says. “The food looks shinier, the leaves and foliage look healthier. There’s greater canopy development and the plants aren’t in danger of shutting down.”
In fact, one grower Hargrave consults with applies Parka right before harvest to give extra support in cold storage. There is also a slight increase in fruit firmness seen in both cherries and blueberries. Another grower even went so far as to say Parka can be the difference between picking a cherry crop or leaving it.
For growers who want to use gibberellic acid for its firming qualities, tank mixing with Parka is the ideal solution. It can be sprayed on its own, or with virtually any other spray.
“Parka has excellent tank mix compatibility,” he says. “It’s commonly used together with a wide range of fungicides, insecticides and nutrients. We recommend it should be applied together with other products just to save some money by eliminating that extra pass through the orchard.”
Easy on plants, people and the environment
Beyond the numerous benefits of Parka for plant and fruit quality, its food-safe ingredient profile means there are no minimum or maximum residue limits and no re-entry intervals for orchard workers.
Rather than scrambling to find the right window for spraying based on fruit development, weather and season timing, Parka can be applied at any time and easily integrates into any crop protection program.
The clear, no-residue spray means pickers can see fruit colour and quality at a glance with no safety concerns. The same goes for the fruit arriving at the packing house. With Parka, fruit is consistently of better quality, resulting in fewer culls and more financial returns for the grower.
Contact Hargrave directly at sales@cultiva.com or reach out to TerraLink or Okanagan Fertilizer for more information about getting the benefits of Parka into your orchard, vineyard or field.