A recent study carried out by researchers from the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM) La Mayora has warned that, due to climate change, the flowering date of Hass avocados has been advanced in Spain, and that this could lead to issues with the pollination and a reduction of the production due to problems with the fruit setting.
In this context, the Almeria-based company Ecoculture Biosciences, specialized in the development of specific solutions to tackle the negative impact of plant stress, has managed to improve the fruit setting of avocados by almost 50% by applying two of its products; one at the end of the flowering phase and another at the start of the setting. In addition, it has managed to reduce the amount of fruit fall during the growing phase, which is one of the major problems when avocado trees are under stress.
The study has been carried out in avocado crops in the Alpujarra of Granada, specifically in Órgiva, in adverse weather conditions. The company applied CalFlux and Xstress, the former at the end of the flowering and the latter at the beginning of the setting. In this way, they achieved not only more fruit setting in the treated area, but they also reduced the amount of fruit fall during the growing phase.
Both products naturally improve the response of plants through their own defense mechanisms in order to reduce the negative impact of stress on crops, protecting flowers and the fruit setting from low temperatures, reinforcing cell walls and giving natural processes a boost, thereby neutralizing oxidative toxins.
XStress, by Ecoculture, stimulates the production of antioxidants, to the detriment of ethylene production, consequently improving the response of trees to situations of environmental stress. It regulates the proportion of chemical defense compounds against negative destructive stress compounds, consequently having a great impact on the prevention of plant damage and loss of performance.
CalFlux ensures a better cell wall structure and improves the size, quality, homogeneity and color of flowers and fruits. With a combination of calcium and zinc, this technology is highly efficient in adverse environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures, excess or lack of water, poor or excessive lighting and salinity, which generally lead to the loss of flowers and fruits.
Source: agrodiariohuelva.es
