Protect Melons from Sunburn and Heat Stress
Plant Surface Protection From Sun and Heat for Melons
Field studies and years of commercial use show that use of Surround® Agricultural Crop Protectant on melons can dramatically reduce sunburn, thereby boosting yields. Data also suggests that brix can be higher and grower experience shows larger melons and more uniform ripening.
Surround® Offers Two Breakthrough Opportunities
The specially engineered kaolin particles reflect harmful infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Fruit remain cooler. With less radiation and cooler fruit there is less sunburn damage. For reducing sunburn damage, SURROUND should be applied at 75 kg/ha one week before harvest. A second practice, demonstrated in field trials, is to treat melon plants from transplant to near harvest.
This has been shown to provide both sunburn protection and enhanced yield. Applications of 12.5 kg/ha are made approximately weekly, starting immediately after transplant. Some growers simply add a single 12.5 kg bag of SURROUND per hectare to the other crop inputs they spray each week. The initial benefit is the protection of the transplant from transplant shock, resulting in fewer transplant losses and faster initial establishment. Applications throughout the season keep the plants cooler. This has been shown to enhance plant vigor and photosynthesis, and to increase yield by producing larger caliber melons.
Turning Down the Heat
The benefits of SURROUND have been demonstrated in trials conducted around the world. Proven in several crops, plants exposed to too much heat and sunlight show reduced photosynthesis. Stomates on the leaf close when temperatures rise above certain thresholds. With stomate closure the plant takes in less CO2 . By reflecting away significant amounts of ultraviolet and infrared radiation, plants remain cooler, with stomates open for more hours per day. Therefore, more CO2 is taken into the plant for photosynthesis.
Research indicates that melon growth reaches an optimum at approximately 35ºC (95ºF). Of course, fruit under full sunlight often reach temperatures well above ambient air temperature. Treated plants and fruits are typically up to 5ºC (9ºF) or more cooler than untreated plants.
Creating Value Through Innovative Solutions
SURROUND is marketed by NovaSource, a business unit of Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. Phoenix, Ariz. NovaSource was created to develop and market off-patent and novel crop protection products. Our mission is to create value for our customers by providing innovative solutions for their crop protection needs. We employ a global network of formulation technologists, active ingredient suppliers and specialized marketing partners, all with unique capabilities to develop exceptional product offerings. Concentrating on niche segments, we serve the agriculture, horticulture, turf, forestry and aquatic, markets. Our goal is to deliver products that provide a sound business benefit to our customers.
