High Temperatures Threaten Apple Orchard

Apple growers in top-producing states are grappling with the consequences of recent heatwaves.

This summer’s record-breaking 100-degree days in Washington, and upper 90s temperatures in New York and Michigan, have led to premature fruit ripening and potentially reduced marketable yield, threatening orchard profitability.

Harvista™, a pre-harvest 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) product offered by AgroFresh, provides a solution to help manage weather stress by delaying the acceleration of the apple’s maturity processes triggered by the production of ethylene. Applications of Harvista help growers mitigate the accelerated maturation risk that high heat can cause on their crop.

One of the primary concerns during extended periods of high temperatures is the acceleration of fruit ripening, appearance of disorders and premature fruit drop, all of which can significantly reduce marketable yield,” said North America Commercial Director Rodrigo Cifuentes. “Harvista helps growers keep apples on the tree longer by slowing down starch, firmness and background color loss, giving growers better control over harvest timing and resources.”

Trials show that Harvista delays starch degradation and firmness loss by up to two weeks, allowing fruit to continue developing size and color on the tree, and that means more premium grade fruit. In Washington state Gala apple variety trials, acres applied with Harvista yielded approximately 6.5 tons more premium grade fruit than those with no application.

“At AgroFresh, we understand the challenges that apple growers face with extreme weather conditions,” said Cifuentes. “Of the robust portfolio of solutions for apples that AgroFresh offers, Harvista is an essential tool in the grower’s toolbox to not only mitigate weather-induced stress on the crop, but also as a foundational tool in improving and extending the post-harvest life potential of that fruit.

When combined with post-harvest applications of SmartFresh^™ as part of an integrated long-term storage strategy, we see even greater results over quality and packouts after storage.”