Bluestim® improves shelf life of soft fruit crops
16 June 2020
Soft fruit growers who use Bluestim® end up with fewer micro-cracks in their strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. What's important is that they spray each fruit - from flowering to harvest - once every three weeks.
Bluestim® has been part of Biobest's product range for several years now. “This natural and powerful product reduces the effects of abiotic stress. It does this by improving the transport of nutrients, including calcium. More calcium in the cell walls makes the fruit stronger and prevents micro-cracks. After harvesting, post-harvest pathogens, such as Botrytis, Mucor and Rhizopus, have a more difficult time invading. This makes the soft fruit firmer, resulting in a longer shelf life,” says Sarah Van Beneden, Group Product Manager at Biobest.
Spray every three weeksThe product is easy to apply. “It is important that growers spray the crop every three weeks, from the time of the first flowering through the last harvesting moment. This is the best way to prevent micro- and macro-cracking. We advise a dosage of 1.8 lb/acre (2 kg/ha),” explains Sarah. She emphasises that spraying is essential. “If growers introduce Bluestim® by dripping, less Bluestim® is left over for the plant. In that case, the micro-organisms in the soil consume it.”
Made from sugar beetsBluestim® contains a high concentration of glycine betaine (more than 96%), a natural extract of sugar beets. With this fertilizer developed by Lallemand Plant Care, Biobest has seen good results in the cultivation of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Bluestim® is available in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, France, Germany and Poland.
Read more:
Table Grape Symposium Global players discuss table grapes
24 March 2024
The Macfrut Table Grape Global Players event, scheduled for the second day of the trade fair (Thursday 9 May) at the Rimini Expo Centre, will be a great opportunity to meet and discuss case studies from around the world. The event is part of the Table Grape Symposium, the international symposium dedicated to table grapes, which will bring together the world’s leading experts and industry players at Macfrut (8-10 May 2024). »
Ucima celebrates 40 years of history with the Ucima40 project
23 March 2024
Ucima, the Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers' Association, is launching the Ucima40 project to mark its 40th anniversary. Founded in 1984, Ucima has always supported Italian companies in the sector and plays a pivotal role in the development and promotion of the Italian packaging industry, which today stands as a world leader in its field. This anniversary is not just an occasion to celebrate past achievements but is also an opportunity to look to the future with enthusiasm and determination. »
Interpera 2024: ticket are now on sale
21 March 2024
Interpera brings together the key players in the international pear sector to discuss common issues. The event is organised by AREFLH and ANP (National Association of Pera Rocha Producers). Online ticket sales have just begun at www.interpera.org, with "early bird" prices available until 3 May 2024. Interpera returns to Portugal ten years after the 2014 event in Santarem. Portugal is one of Europe's leading pear producing countries, with a production »