March 2020 - 22

Research seeks ways to suppress bitter pit
By Christine Corbett Conklin
FGN Correspondent
Focusing on the early season may
help to moderate the " terrible scourge "
of bitter pit in Honeycrisp apples,
according to a tree fruit specialist
with Cornell Cooperative Extension's
Eastern New York Commercial
Horticulture Program.
Research done in New York state
between 2016 and 2018 showed up to
a 50% suppression of bitter pit with
use of the growth retardant Apogee at
the " pink " - or open cluster - stage of
development, reports Daniel Donahue,
an Extension associate with Cornell in
Highland, New York. Carefully timed
application of calcium sprays may be
of further benefit.
Since bitter pit, with its dark,
indented spots on the fruit surface and
cork-like tissue underneath, appears
to be related to a lack of available
calcium in the apple at the correct
time, " we want to favor movement of
calcium early on, " Donahue said in a
presentation at the Washington State
Tree Fruit Association's Annual Meeting
& Northwest Horticultural Expo in
December in Wenatchee, Washington.
Research in 2016-2018 showed that
bitter pit can have great variability,
affecting from " zero to about 71% "
of Honeycrisp apples studied on 36
An example of bitter pit in apples.
orchard blocks in the Champlain and
Hudson regions of New York state.
" We found that in those 36 blocks,
the ratio of magnesium to calcium
was positively correlated with bitter
pit incidence, " Donahue said. " There
tended to be more magnesium and
less calcium " in affected apples.
" Calcium is important for strength of
cell walls and cell membranes, " he later
emphasized to the Fruit Growers News.
An early treatment with Apogee
makes a difference, perhaps
" maximizing movement of calcium, "
or helping to " adjust the hormonal
balance in the plant to favor xylem
development. Why it works is not clear. "
" Statistics are hugely important
in research, " Donahue said. And,
with the Honeycrisp apples studied
between 2016 and 2018, the numbers
22 | FruitGrowersNews.com

http://www.FruitGrowersNews.com

March 2020

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