Funding: Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association
Honeycrisp is one of the most popular and profitable apples grown in the United States. However, it does have a plethora of problems that make this apple difficult and expensive to grow. One of the most serious and prevalent problems on Honeycrisp is the development of the disorder bitter pit. Corky areas appear on the fruit surface on fruit and their appearance disqualifies afflicted fruit from being brought to fresh fruit markets. Recent work by scientists from Michigan State University have shown that several foliar applications of NAA and ABA early in fruit development may mitigate this problem, but details and confirmation are lacking. This project is to test the effectiveness of NAA and ABA in reducing bitter pit on Honeycrisp apples growing at the UMass Cold Spring Orchard.
Results: This is an ongoing project
