For apple and cherry growers, achieving a clean, uniform and attractive fruit finish is an important part of producing a crop that meets market expectations. While yield and fruit size remain fundamental to orchard performance, skin appearance can have a significant influence on pack-out, grading and market value.

Russeting, cracking and other forms of skin blemishing can present challenges throughout fruit development. Environmental conditions, variety, fruit development and orchard management can all influence the final appearance of the crop, making early attention to fruit finish an important consideration for growers.

In both apples and cherries, the early stages of fruit development represent an important window for managing the factors that can ultimately affect marketable quality. Frost, moisture and other environmental stresses can impact young fruitlets, with damage sometimes becoming more apparent as fruit develops.

Protecting fruit quality early

Gibberellins are used in orchard production as a tool for influencing fruit development and supporting fruit quality. Novagib, containing 10 g/L of gibberellins GA4/7, is designed for use in apples and cherries, with a focus on managing russeting and cracking and supporting an improved skin finish.

The product contains high-purity GA4/7 in a liquid formulation. According to product information, Novagib can also help young fruitlets through frost events, providing growers with another consideration during a period when developing fruit can be particularly vulnerable to environmental conditions.

For apple growers, managing russeting can be particularly important where fruit is being produced for markets with stringent appearance specifications. In cherries, maintaining an attractive, blemish-free skin is similarly important, with cracking and other skin defects having the potential to reduce marketable yield.

A focus on consistency

Managing fruit finish is ultimately about achieving consistency across the orchard and from one season to the next. Weather conditions can vary considerably between seasons, meaning growers need to consider how environmental conditions interact with variety, crop load, orchard management and fruit development.

A proactive approach during the early stages of fruit development can help growers manage some of the factors that influence final fruit appearance. Rather than relying on a single intervention, maintaining good orchard management practices and carefully considering the timing of crop protection and growth regulator applications remain important components of producing quality fruit.

Novagib contains 0.96 per cent w/w (10 g/L) gibberellins (GA4/7) and is distributed in Australia by Elders Rural Services Australia Ltd.

For apple and cherry growers, protecting fruit quality is a season-long process. Paying close attention to fruit development and the conditions that can influence skin finish can help more fruit reach harvest with the quality, appearance and presentation required by today's markets.