INTERNAL CORK IN APPLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 6

INTERNAL CORK IN APPLES

INVESTIGATION OF CAUSE Co-operative investigations of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research ami the Cawthron Institute, under the auspices of the Fruit Research Committee have been completely successful in ascertaining the cause of internal cork in apples, and of securing a practical remedy for its treatment. The investigations were begun two seasons ago, at a time when this particular ailment was occasioning severe losses to orchardists in certain parts of the Nelson district.

In the first year of the experiments Mr J. D. Atkinson was able to show that an injection of certain boron compounds was remarkably beneficial in overcoming the ailment. Dr O. Askew, on the chemical side, showed definitely that the ailment was associated with the low boron content. In severe cases the boron content was only ono-quarter of that found in healthy fruit.

During the last season the work lias proceeded both in the field and in the laboratory, and ns a result confirmation has been obtained of the great value of boron compounds in overcoming this ailment in apples. Investigations show that the’soil topdressings with borax, at the rate of half a pound to two-thirds of a pound a tree were sufficient to control the incidence of the ailment, and no harmful effects on the tree have resulted from applications of this amount.

Soil investigations have shown that borax penetrated rapidly into the soil, and reached the root bone of the tree within a comparatively short time. A very interesting result has I>een obtained in the control of the ailment by the use of borax. Sprays at a concentration of 5 per cent, borax have given complete control of the ailment.