Blotchy ripening without Blush
Blotchy ripening is a physiological disorder of tomatoes. It results in an irregular ripening of the fruit, leading to lack of uniformity, and it affects all varieties, cultivation periods and types of soil. The symptoms can vary in intensity and can be confused with those caused by the Mosaic virus (TMV) or the Botrytis fungus, and is generally identified by the presence of green to dark grey or yellow to pale red patches, which give the product the appearance of having ripened irregularly. These patches are mostly located in the upper part of the fruit. This problem becomes visible only at an advanced stage, from the time the colour starts changing.
The causes for the formation of these patches are usually excessive fertilization with nitrogen, high electrical conductivity, low potassium levels, the poor absorption of calcium and boron, poor pruning management, temperature and luminosity variations during maturation, and high relative humidity in the environment and soil.
Tomatoes treated with Blush
Once the synthesis of lycopene starts (a process known as carotenogenesis), abscisic acid becomes a key regulator. Blush, of Ecoculture, contains molybdenum in its formulation, which is a key element in the formation of ABA (abscisic acid) by acting as a key co-factor in the synthesis of carotenoids. It is also a structural part of the oxidase enzyme, which transforms the aldehyde of abscisic acid into the ABA hormone, and into boron, which improves the formation of sugars in the fruit, resulting in a higher Brix degree.
Used at a dose of 2 cc/l, Ecoculture's Blush prevents the appearance of blotchy ripening, thus increasing the profitability for the producer. Also, the best results are obtained in combination with XStress, which alleviates the negative effects caused by certain stress situations, and NHDeltaK, which allows the absorption of potassium without preventing the absorption of calcium and magnesium.