It's time to apply FERKOLOR to citrus fruits. The chelated nutrient for ripening

It's time to apply FERKOLOR to citrus fruits. The chelated nutrient for ripening.

FERKOLOR from Cultifort, when applied to citrus fruits during ripening, promotes better fruit quality, with more sugar, better coloring and greater firmness.

Ripening is the final phase of fruit growth and development, during which a series of morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes occur, aimed at improving organoleptic characteristics (color, flavor, texture, aroma, etc.), ensuring the final product reaches optimal conditions for consumption. After flowering and fertilization, a significant increase in cell division occurs, allowing the fruit to act as a sink for water, nutrients, and other elements. Ripening often coincides, in some crops, with changes in skin color. At this point, chlorophylls are replaced by polyphenols, carotenoids, or other coloring and aromatic compounds.

These aromatic compounds give a characteristic smell to the different varieties of fruit.

On the other hand, the flavor also changes due to the hydrolysis of starches, which transform them into sugars. Its flavor goes from bitter to sweet, while its acidity is also reduced.

The texture also changes, not only due to the hydrolysis of starches but also of pectins, which reduces their fiber content. Furthermore, the degradation processes of cell walls also influence changes in the fruit's firmness, making it more susceptible to damage or alterations during post-harvest handling.

Therefore, the flavor of the fruit is defined by the production of a complex mixture of volatile compounds, in combination with carbohydrates, organic acids and phenolic compounds.

The final quality of the fruit and its post-harvest shelf life depend on all the operations carried out during cultivation, especially fertilization. Therefore, the application of appropriate nutritional supplements is crucial to improve and delay the degradation and softening processes of the tissues associated with ripening.

At Cultifort we propose FERKOLOR , the special liquid fertilizer for fruit ripening, which combines nitrogen, potassium, calcium and boron.

Nitrogen is the element with the greatest influence on growth and production. A deficiency can cause the fruit's skin to turn pale and its size to decrease, while an excess can increase skin thickness and moisture content, leading to a loss of fruit quality due to increased susceptibility to spoilage caused by pathogens.

Potassium is especially important for fruit ripening, as it improves carbon assimilation, increases sugar content, and reduces starch. Furthermore, this nutrient plays a crucial role in osmotic regulation, controlling stomatal opening and closing and thus helping to maintain adequate levels of transpiration and photosynthesis, which are essential for proper fruit ripening. Numerous studies have demonstrated its high effectiveness in increasing fruit size, weight, and color, as well as preventing cracking in susceptible citrus varieties, where the optimal potassium content is between 0.7 and 1.0%.

 

Calcium is associated with the cell wall structure, of which it forms a part as calcium pectate, located in the intercellular lamella. As a bioelement, it performs functions such as regulating nitrogen absorption, acting in the transport of sugars and proteins within the plant, increasing the resistance of cell membranes, and participating in the plant's water conservation by regulating water movement within cells. It plays a significant role in fruit ripening and storage processes; therefore , pre-harvest calcium applications help maintain firmness during transport and storage.

Boron is a multifunctional element with a crucial role in regulating the transport of sugars, carbohydrates , and potassium. It forms complexes with sugars, thus facilitating their circulation throughout the plant. It also increases glucose synthesis, the primary sugar transported by plants. Furthermore, in addition to participating in nitrogen metabolism and protein formation, it acts as a hormonal regulator (gibberellic acid being particularly important in regulating hormone synthesis).

Calcium and boron are essential for cell division and cell wall synthesis. These two elements mutually enhance each other's translocation within the plant.

Numerous field trials conducted with FERKOLOR , applied during ripening, confirm its excellent performance, enhancing the quality of the fruit, both in its physical properties: size, uniformity, weight, and texture; as well as in its organoleptic qualities: flavor (sugar content), color, and aromas.

Furthermore, it exhibits excellent synergy with the biostimulant BVC EVOLUTION (formerly BVC 2021) , by improving size and foliage in the new autumn growth.

In short, the use of FERKOLOR translates to:

• An increase in sugar content
• Better skin quality and fruit consistency
• Increased resistance to post-harvest degradation
  
• More vivid coloration of the fruits
• An increase in crop yield