Preventing Sunburn on Apples

Sunscald is a problem for apple growers attempting to produce unblemished fruit. Most growers currently mist their trees from dawn to dusk to use the evaporative cooling effect of water to lower fruit temperature. However, Robert G. Evans has proposed some improvements.

Evans, agricultural engineer for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, has developed a model that would allow growers to more precisely control the sprinkling sessions. By effectively regulating misting based on the optimal apple core temperature, water use could be cut by as much as half, conserving water and reducing cost.

Link: Keeping Apples Cool to the Core from the USDA Agricultural Research Service

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:32 AM on January 5, 2005

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