CAN ABA HELP MITIGATE BITTER PIT IN 'HONEYCRISP' APPLES?

摘要

BITTER PIT CAN be a troublesome issue, especially for 'Honeycrisp' apple growers. The disorder is characterized by dark spots on the fruit's skin or in the flesh and believed to occur from a calcium deficiency.Dr. Todd Einhorn, Associate Professor, Michigan State University, says the problem comes down to water flow. When xylem vascular tissues in the fruit, which carry water and minerals up from the soil, undergo significant strain early in the growing season, cells can rupture, causing this tissue to become dysfunctional. This leaves the phloem to supply most of the water to fruit as the season progresses toward harvest. However, calcium is not mobile in the phloem.