ReTain Advanced Fruit Management in Apples

Sumitomo ReTain is a natural plant growth regulator for apples and stone fruit. It can improve harvest management, fruit quality and enhance storage potential. ReTain helps orchardists time their harvests to increase fruit size, firmness while improving storage ability. This makes for greater profitability by consistently helping produce fruit that meets market demand for quality, colour and finish. The active ingredient in ReTain is aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), a naturally occurring fermentation product that blocks ethylene production in plants. Ethylene affects plant processes such as fruit maturation, ripening and fruit drop. ReTain can be used in apples and stone fruit pre-harvest to suppress ethylene biosynthesis in order to manage the timing of ripening, increase fruit size and firmness and improve storage potential.

The ultimate challenge to achieving greater profitability in apple and stone fruit production is to consistently produce fruit that can meet market demand for size, firmness, fruit finish and storage ability – QUALITY. The use of ReTain will not only help deliver quality fruit, it will assist another important aspect of production – harvest management – by unlocking a critical limiting factor – TIME.

Sizing agent

As a result of slowing harvest maturity, ReTain indirectly provides larger fruit upon harvest. This is due to the fruit growing at its normal rate for an extended time – a benefit of delaying the harvest date. Depending on variety and conditions, fruit held on the tree can increase 1% of its weight per day. ReTain can beneficially shift size pack outs to maximise returns.

Firmness

Another advantage of using ReTain is that fruit is firmer than untreated fruit at harvest. The firmer the fruit, the greater its storage and sale ability. This is significant as large fruit is usually softer than small fruit. With ReTain there is the benefit of larger AND firmer fruit.

Improved storage potential

ReTain maintains the quality of fruit well after it has been picked. The higher the quality that goes into storage, the better quality fruit coming out of storage and transport. The fruit maintains its firmness and has a reduced frequency of disorders enabling increased profitability for the grower.

Harvest management

Managing a harvest can become a complex task when considering parts of the process such as organising staff, packing, storage and transport. These aspects combined with variables such as weather and fruit maturity can seriously affect a successful harvest. ReTain delays fruit maturation and in effect lengthens the harvest season so there is extra time to make important decisions and assign resources efficiently. The result is a successful harvest in all stages from picking to export.

For more information on using ReTain in pome fruit please refer to the below resources:

ReTain Manual

Improving Your Apples with ReTain

ReTain Testimonial James Gaffney

ReTain Testimonial Tony Tricollo

ReTain label

For more information on using ReTain in cherries and stonefruit please click here to go to the ReTain literature page.