Ultra Gro Crop Shield and Tomatoes

The trial concluded that tomatoes treated with Crop Shield showed:

-10% Reduction in Sunburned Fruit

-5.5% Increase in Large Size Fruit

-5% Increase in Yield

The Full Results

Ultra Gro Crop Shield was applied at 1 gal/A to satsuma (cv. Mihowase) to evaluate for sunburn control and yield response. For comparison, Surround was applied at 50 lb/a. Four total applications of Crop Shield were made starting just prior to the first heat event, and with subsequent applications occurring every 30 days. Surround was applied twice with 60 days in between. Applications were made with a Stihl mist-blower sprayer and delivered at 100 gpa. Each plot was 4 trees. Each treatment was replicated four times. 

100 fruit were evaluated from each plot and the number with sunburn damage was recorded. At 2 DA-D, the untreated trees averaged 40% of fruit damaged, this declined over time to 22% by 70 DA-D. Trees treated with Crop Shield had 27% of fruit with sunburn at 2 DA-D and then finished up at 14% at 70 DA-D. For comparison, Surround started off with 27% fruit damage and ended with 16%. 

Just before harvest, 50 fruit were sized from each plot. The untreated trees averaged 23% large (mammoth), 45% medium (jumbo and large) and 31% small (medium and small). Both Crop Shield and Surround treated trees averaged 30 to 32% large fruit, 50 to 51% medium and 18 to 19% small fruit. 

At harvest, the untreated had 161 lbs of fruit per plot, while Crop Shield and Surround had 210 and 200 lbs of fruit per plot.

Number of Fruit Sunburned

Sunburn/Size/Yield

About Crop Shield

Ultra Gro has been treating plants for heat stress for over 30 years using foliar applications of UG Crop Shield, one of our flagship products. Crop Shield contains a mixture of highly effective nutrients and water-soluble biodegradable material. Macro- and micro-nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, zinc, iron, manganese, copper cobalt, and molybdenum are all included. All told, this combination will feed the plant necessary nutrients and protect it from the heat.

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