Purshade Reduces Sunburn and Improves Grade, Driving Higher Value for Apple Growers

2009-11-17 15:30:09 -

Purfresh, a provider of clean technologies that purify, protect, and preserve our food and water, today announced that apple growers have experienced a 15-25% improvement in returns with Purshade® : cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .. solar protectant. Field trials on multiple varieties, including Gala and Fuji apples, have shown significant decreases in physical sun-related damage, along with an overall increase in fruit

size. Designed to protect crops from solar and water stress, Purshade— based on Advanced Reflectance Technology™ (ART) —reflects harmful wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation, while allowing transmission of sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis. During a time of strong global competition and weak returns, maximizing every acre planted is an important issue for apple growers.

“Too much sun can lead to costly losses including reduced marketable yield and degradation in quality,” said Tom Justmann, general manager, plant health group for Purfresh. “With Purshade, apple growers have experienced more intense color, longer storage life, and increased pack-out—characteristics that make their products more marketable against global competition.”

The impact of solar stress on apples has been evaluated extensively in studies conducted in Chile, United States, New Zealand, and Australia, and has been shown to affect a wide range of varieties, including Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, and Honey Crisp. Rated among the top three reasons for cullage, solar stress can damage the fruit surface with white, yellow, bronze, and brown discoloration, and can occur even in normal temperatures and growing conditions. Purshade, scientifically developed to protect against solar stress, reflects as much as 90-98% of harmful UV radiation, and has been shown to keep plant surfaces 5-9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than untreated plants.

“We have built a strong reputation for providing the highest quality of crop protectants on the market to growers throughout the country,” said Mr. Alejandro Ochagavia of GMT. “Purshade plays a significant role in helping growers optimize the conditions for each and every acre by maintaining the high quality of apples grown in Chile and boosting the value of each harvest by reducing solar damage.”


“Organic growers also face solar stress challenges and previously have not had an effective solution to rely on. To meet their needs, we expanded the Purshade family and introduced Purshade-O, a liquid calcium-based formulation certified by OMRI. With the addition of Purshade-O, conventional and organic producers can benefit from superior solar protection,” added Justmann.

The patents-pending Purshade family of products is locally distributed via strategic partners worldwide. Purshade is applied to crops using standard spray equipment, including ground, aerial and tower sprayers, and is easy to mix, apply, remove, and store.


About Purfresh, Inc.

Purfresh offers a range of clean technology solutions that purify, protect, and preserve our food and water. Purfresh’s innovative crop applications, food wash systems and cold chain technologies effectively safeguard fresh produce before and after harvest. Our water technologies purify and disinfect bottled, pharmaceutical and consumer products.

Today, customers in 42 countries rely on Purfresh to boost yields, control costs, and improve the safety and quality of their products, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Safeway, Orchard View Farms, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit www.purfresh.com : cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .. .

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Purfresh, Inc.Connie Bordanaro, +1-510-580-0700 ext. 318 connie@purfresh.com : mailto:connie@purfresh.com Pablo
Forti, +569 9825 5630 pforti@purfresh.com : mailto:pforti@purfresh.com