BRANDT Europe has developed a technology that increases the number of Jacobo Cantaloupe melon fruits by up to 20% in commercial sizes and by 5% in extra sizes (over 1 kilo), as reported in this article by the newspaper “Diario de Sevilla”.
The trial, conducted in the area of La Habana, in Adra (Almeria) on an expanse of 4,000 meters, was aimed at optimizing productivity by improving fruit set and reducing abortion rates, thus increasing the volume of kilos per area, the rate of fruit set and commercial fruits and their weight.
After two rounds of treatment, with a combination of two products developed in Carmona, BRANDT InVigo at 1 cc/l and BRANDT MANNI-PLEX at 2 cc/l, both by foliar application, an overall increase in fruit set and a reduction of abortions after fruit set were achieved. In addition to an increase in the number of commercial sized fruits of up to 20% and a 5% increase in extra sizes, the treated Jacobo Cantaloupe melon lines showed a 67% reduction in non-commercial fruits compared to the untreated area and a 7.7% increase in the average melon weight, from an average of 748 grams in the untreated area to 810 grams in the treated area.
This increase in production is especially significant for the melon market, of which Spain is the world’s leading exporter, with 405.72 million kilos, 18.14% of the world total. It also tops the list in terms of revenue, with a total of 306.03 million euros and an average price of 0.754 euros per kilo (2018 data), ahead of Guatemala (the leading exporter until 2017), Honduras and the United States. The most common destinations of Spanish melons are France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Brandt InVigo is a biostimulant that maintains optimal levels of proline and glutathione in the plant, used as reinforcing factors against different types of stress such as frost, temperature changes, saline stress and saline solution, which improves root development, accelerates the formation of the vegetative structure, increases fertilization and the rate of fruit set, improves cell division, reduces fruit drop and, ultimately, increases the final size. Manni-Plex is a unique micronutrient delivery system that is recognized by the crop as its own, allowing its immediate absorption and natural transport through the whole plant. This technology therefore enables the fruit to detect and resolve diseases and physiopathies, resulting in greater homogeneity and extra category fruits, the most sought after and demanded by the foreign market.
