A new trial of Biostart Foliacin, conducted on a north Victorian commercial cherry orchard in 2023, was undertaken to compare the product with a commonly used competitor also used for reducing cherry cracking.

The company said the trial resulted in Folaicin significantly reducing cherry cracking over and above the competitor product.

The Foliacin-treated trees produced a total marketable yield of 86 per cent, compared to only 67 per cent for the trees treated with the competitor product. 

In addition, there was a notable difference in colour, shape and size uniformity between the Foliacin-treated and competitor-treated cherries.

The Foliacin-treated cherries were rounder, more uniform-sized, darker, as well as having more consistently coloured fruit. 

It also reduced the cost to growers.

Foliacin is a foliar biostimulant which enhances overall plant health, resilience, growth, and green leaf retention. 

It was in a trial on cherries in Central Otago, New Zealand over 5 years ago, that it was first discovered that Foliacin also reduced cherry cracking.

It has since been found to be useful in Hawkes Bay and Central Otago orchards for reducing cracking in both ideal conditions and, to an even greater degree, when rain occurs near harvest.

To find out more specific numbers comparing treating for cracking with Foliacin, versus not treating at all, a trial was conducted in 2022 in a commercial cherry orchard in Victoria.

This showed when Biostart Foliacin was applied 28 and 14 days before harvest, cherry cracking was reduced by 55 per cent.

The cherries on the untreated trees had 52 per cent cracking, while the cherries from the Foliacin treated trees had only 23 per cent making 77 per cent of the crop marketable, compared to only 48 per cent of the untreated crop, creating a significant economic benefit to the grower.

Further improvements were revealed when quality after storage was measured.

The samples of treated and untreated cherries were stored at 4°C for 21 days after which a further 26 per cent of the untreated cherries had cracked compared to just 4 per cent of the Foliacin treated cherries – a big improvement in the treated cherries ability to store well.

Foliacin, a handy tool for reducing cracking in cherries generally and for preventing high crop losses late in the season around rain events, has now been shown and to outcompete a direct competitor commonly used to reduce rain induced cracking.

A number of Victorian orchards now have Foliacin on their spray diary and now are also looking at Biostart’s Mycorrcin, a soil biostimulant usually used in conjunction with Foliacin, which is known to speed up orchard establishment rates, root growth and general plant sturdiness – and lift yield.

 The image on the bottom (IMAGE 2) is of Biostart Foliacin treated fruit, while the other picture shows untreated product.