June 10, 2009, – A new gibberellic acid product is now registered for
use in Canada and is available to cherry growers for the 2009 crop
season.
June 10, 2009, – A new gibberellic acid product is now registered for use in Canada and is available to cherry growers for the 2009 crop season.
|
|
The product is called Fruitsize.
The Okanagan Kootenay Cherry Growers Association (OKCGA), in collaboration with long-time Pacific
Agriculture Research Centre scientist Dr. Eugene Hogue, began trials of the product six years ago at various Okanagan locations. Results from the research trials showed that Fruitsize increased the size of cherries.
With these results, an application was made to register the product under the Fertilizer Act and registration was recently granted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It marks a milestone for a grower organization to initiate the registration of a product, provide partnership funding toward research, and partner again with industry to reach the goal of getting the product to growers.
Fruitsize will be offered to growers at a reduced cost and will result in a saving of $250 to $300 thousand dollars annually to the cherry industry.
“This comes at a great time,” says Greg Norton, president of the OKCGA. “With costs rising in every area of production, it’s nice to get some good news. This kind of collaboration is not common in agriculture in Canada. It’s been a long time developing but it’s worth it.”
To purchase product or for more information, cherry growers from the Interior Region of B.C. can contact Growers Supply at 250-765-4500. Growers in Coastal B.C., Vancouver Island and areas outside of B.C. can contact Terralink Horticulture Inc. at 604-864-9044.
Print this page
