De Sangosse Australia has developed an innovative product proven to enhance fruit and vegetable colour with just two applications prior to harvest.

After more than five years in the Australian and New Zealand market, Nectar Intense has been successfully used across a range of fruit crops to increase colour grades, says sales and marketing manager at De Sangosse, Romain Broch.

An independent research trial conducted last season in Wetheron, Queensland confirmed that applying Nectar Intense twice at 5 L/ha improved fruit grades by an average of 33% in Mandarins cv. Murcott.

The two applications of Nectar Intense were done leading up to the planned harvest, with the first being four weeks out (at 40–50% colour change) and the second two weeks before the planned harvest.

Of the 500 fruit assessed per treatment, both the fruit colour grade and skin quality improvements were on average statistically significant against an untreated control.

The results showed Nectar Intense does not have any effect on Brix levels or fruit pH, confirming that the product does not increase ripening of fruit, but only enhances the colour of the harvested crop, Mr Broch said

“Enhancing the colour of your crop at harvest leads to a more efficient harvest, with less picks required, lowering labour requirements, accessing markets earlier, increasing average fruit grade and – particularly in citrus – reducing the need for gassing.

“Nectar Intense is a bio-stimulant combining a unique patented protein extract with a calcium base. It looks after the functional and nutritional balance of crops to enhance growth and development leading up to the much-anticipated harvest. Giving the crop the added benefit of calcium inputs prior to harvest also helps improve skin quality.

“The unique protein extract in Nectar Intense feeds the secondary metabolism of plants, so that they retain an optimal function and energy level. This then enhances the vacuole pigments anthocyanins, which can range in colour from orange-red through to mauve-blue, making Nectar Intense beneficial to a wide range of fruits and vegetables.”

Mr Broch said De Sangosse Australia’s range of innovative plant nutrition range from its Agronutrition subsidiary can be used on a wide range of crops. The products can be applied throughout different growth stages, from crop sowing through to harvest.