Grape cultivation faces multifaceted challenges, including adverse climatic conditions, high humidity during berry development, and the persistent presence of diseases like Downy, Powdery, and Xanthomonas. The necessity for heavy doses of chemical fungicides exacerbates issues, adversely impacting brix and bloom development. The excessive use of chemicals and hormones disrupts natural berry development, leading to disturbed physiology aggravated by indifferent climatic conditions and stringent Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and Pre-Harvest Intervals (PHIs). This results in grapes lacking adequate bloom, brix, shine, and crispiness, with watery flesh texture and thickening skin. Additionally, there is a tendency for grape bunches to develop a yellowish tinge in high temperatures or direct sunlight exposure, and colored varieties exhibit uneven pigmentation. The need to wrap export grapes in paper to prevent yellowing incurs extra expenses for farmers. Adversely affected grape quality often results in unfavorable Quality Control reports from supermarkets, translating into financial losses for both farmers and exporters
To overcome challenges in grape cultivation, a comprehensive strategy is vital. Strengthening the grapevine internally, restoring natural growth factors, and re-establishing inherent protection against fungal infections are paramount. It’s crucial to enhance canopy development, ensuring uninterrupted carbohydrate production even in high temperatures. Providing adequate support for grape berry development through additional cell division is essential to improve organoleptic qualities like brix, flavor, crispiness, and color. Given the limited efficacy of current formulations, there’s a pressing need for chemical-free solutions with minimal Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI) and no Maximum Residue Limits (MRL). These solutions should exhibit efficacy in diverse climatic conditions. At Hi Cell Crop Sciences, we’ve developed safe and effective solutions aligned with these principles, offering a breakthrough in sustainable and high-quality grape cultivation.
Bud Breaking : Hi Cell Florentia is a groundbreaking solution for the critical bud-breaking stage in table grape cultivation, offering a safe and effective alternative to the widely used toxic Hydrogen cyanamide. Specially formulated for grapes, cherries, and kiwis, Florentia goes beyond bud breaking, addressing issues like uneven sprouting, varied shoot vigor, and flower/bunch development. During the 2022-23 season, extensive testing demonstrated its superiority over Hydrogen cyanamide controls, showcasing slightly delayed but robust sprouting, enhanced vigor, larger bunch sizes, and a notable 15-20% increase in the number of bunches.. This innovative formulation represents a paradigm shift, ensuring accelerated Bud/Berry/Fruit development and promising advancements in improving overall grape quality on a global scale.
Berry Development : In contemporary viticulture, the utilization of growth hormones such as GA3, GA7, CPPU, and Brassino steroids has become widespread for enhancing grape berry size. However, the application of these hormones is not without consequences, as observed side effects include reduced pedicel strength leading to increased berry drop with excessive GA3 use, and the potential for CPPU[ N-(2-Chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea] to promote lignification in bunch stems and pedicles, hindering the attainment of optimal brix levels and other organic attributes.
In response to these challenges, Hi Cell Suavis emerges as a noteworthy non-hormonal and non-nutrient-based alternative, designed to expedite berry development naturally. Remarkably, Hi Cell Suavis demonstrates compatibility with GA3, delivering favorable outcomes when applied at a rate of 40 ounces per acre, particularly in instances involving seeded grapes like Red Globe.
Critical observations suggest that substituting GA3 with Hi Cell Suavis promotes natural berry development without inducing undue elongation. Moreover, the resultant improvements in brix levels, flavor, berry firmness, and keeping quality are notably superior to control conditions.
Ongoing scrutiny of these applications is essential to comprehensively assess the long-term impact on grapevine health and fruit quality. The pursuit of sustainable and natural methodologies in viticulture remains a priority, and the promising performance of Hi Cell Suavis warrants continued investigation and consideration within the industry
Shoot Growth : Combatting slow shoot growth due to low temperature, abiotic or biotic stress, and nutrient deficiencies, Hi Cell Renova @35-45 ounces per acre offers a targeted solution. Applied in these conditions, Renova efficiently restarts shoot growth and safeguards grapevines from abiotic stress, ensuring resilient and healthy grapevine development.
Grape Pest In the course of grape cultivation, the presence of various pests poses a considerable challenge. Hi Cell Crop Sciences offers a targeted solution with Hi Cell Eradico, designed to effectively address common issues related to sucking pests, bugs, and worms affecting grapevines. For optimal results, we recommend application through an electrostatic sprayer (ESS) at a rate of 40 ounces per acre, leveraging the precision of this method. In instances of persistent pest infestations or the need to control grape mealybugs, Hi Cell Evello stands as a potent option, demonstrating high efficacy when applied at a recommended rate of 40 ounces per acre . These professional-grade solutions aim to ensure the health and vitality of grape crops while mitigating the impact of pest pressures during their growth cycle.
Powdery Mildew : Sulphur is chemical of choice to control powdery mildew on grapes; however, its application is ill-advised in humid climates or during berry development due to potential damage to the berries. Limited options exist for registered chemical molecules applicable on grapevines post-50 days of pruning, considering Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) concerns. Introducing Hi Cell Rubigo, a highly effective formulation applied at 30 ounces per 100 gallons, providing a MRL-safe solution with a zero Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI). Rubigo stands as an exceptional product for controlling powdery mildew on grapevines, ensuring efficacy without compromising MRL compliances.
Downy Mildew: A potentially destructive affliction for grapevines, demands swift and effective intervention to safeguard plantations. Hi Cell Pugnator emerges as a precise and professional solution, applied at 50 ounces per 100 gallons. As a zero Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI) product, Pugnator ensures highly efficacious control against downy mildew at any growth stage of grapes, providing a reliable defense mechanism for the longevity and protection of grape plantation.
Berry Drop : Mitigating grape berry drop induced by abiotic stress or nutritional deficiencies requires a targeted approach. Hi Cell Renova, applied at 40 ounces per 100 gallons, emerges as a professional and precise solution. By strengthening the grape pedicel, Renova effectively addresses the factors contributing to berry drop, ensuring the resilience and retention of grape clusters.
Berry Sweetness : Elevating grape berry sweetness, a critical determinant for market acceptance in both fresh produce and winemaking, requires a meticulous approach. Enter Hi Cell Suavis, applied at 40-50 ounces per 100 gallons—an exceptional non-nutritional formulation. This professional and precise application demonstrates remarkable efficacy, boosting brix levels by up to 20%, particularly when administered shortly after the veraison stage. Suavis proves especially adept in addressing the challenges faced by newer grape varieties encountering limitations in brix development due to various stress factor.
Berry Color : To counter the common challenge of uneven color formation in colored grape varieties, often intensified by abiotic stress factors, Hi Cell Laetus offers a targeted solution. This non-hormonal formulation, applied at 40-50 ounces per 100 gallons of water a few days after veraison, stands as a precise and professional remedy. Laetus is designed to improve color formation consistently, providing a reliable solution to the issue of uneven pigmentation in colored grape varieties
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