It’s harvest time, and don’t let the beauty
fool you.
There is work to be done.
The nation’s apple growers produce millions
of bushels of apples each year.
Bringing this impressive supply to market
is challenging.
Especially when the supply of qualified labor
is often unpredictable from season to season.
This is especially critical at harvest.
It’s time to run harvest on your schedule,
with ReTain Plant Growth Regulator Soluble
Powder from Valent.
By inhibiting ethylene, ReTain extends the
harvest window, which provides more flexible
labor management, reduces pre-harvest fruit
drop and maintains late season fruit quality.
ReTain allows growers to get a better handle
on one of the most crucial aspects of harvest;
harvest management.
Now registered for two applications up to
seven days prior to harvest with no special
equipment required.
ReTain extends the harvest management period
even further.
With fruit retention well past the normal
harvest window, growers get greater flexibility
in managing harvest crews and drop prone varieties.
Trials conducted by the University of Massachusetts
showed the benefit of using two applications
of ReTain.
A second application of ReTain extended the
harvest management period by up to four weeks
when compared to a single application.
That means growers can make the most of their
existing crews while maintaining fruit quality.
Another benefit; when it comes to pre-harvest
application, ReTain has flexible use timing
with no special equipment required.
For the first application, apply no more than
28 days prior to the anticipated beginning
of the normal harvest period.
It’s important to begin to control ethylene
production and set the stage for the second
application.
Growers can decide if a second application
is necessary depending on fruit quality or
labor and market conditions.
That second application takes place seven
to twenty one days before harvest.
For hard to color varieties such as honeycrisp
and some low colored galas, growers have found
that delaying the first application until
closer to expected harvest, provides time
for color development while still gaining
the quality and harvest benefits of ReTain.
The benefits of extra time extend beyond enhanced
labor management and flexible use timing.
Additional time allows for the opportunity
for increased fruit size without sacrificing
quality.
ReTain slows maturation, meaning fruit hangs
longer while maintaining firmness.
That’s not all, water core and stem boll
cracking are reduced.
Growers get greater uniformity and maturity
across all fruit at each pick.
Because that’s what its all about, growing
the best fruit possible.
ReTain keeps the fruit on the branch longer,
giving you the time to run harvest on your
schedule while maximizing quality and packout.
And now ReTain offers the benefit of even
more flexibility for harvest with two applications
up to seven days prior to harvest.
Easy to apply and reliable for over twenty
years, ReTain is the foundation for optimizing
harvest management.
To learn more visit valent.com/ReTain or contact
your retailer for more information on how
you can run harvest on your schedule with
ReTain.
