Question
I urgently need to know the best concentration of Banzyladenine for prevention of sweet cherry fruit pedicle browning at post harvest. (M.A.)
Answer
(N-6)Benzyladenine is a cytokinin that stimulates cell division. It is not registered for either preharvest or Postharvest use on cherries in the USA. The company that has registration for this growth regulator is Valent Biosciences (www.valentbiosciences.com). Stem browning in harvested cherries results from water loss and the best way to reduce this problem is to package the cherries in plastic bags or use plastic liners within the shipping box in addition to maintaining 0 to 2 ºC and 90-95% relative humidity in refrigerated storage and transport facilities.
-Adel A. Kader