BY LINDA BAKER
Spring rains are the bane of an Oregon cherry farmer’s existence. Even a few sprinkles can crack the fruit so badly it’s not worth picking. Science to the rescue: Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a spray-on film that cuts rain-related cracking in half, potentially saving a season’s crop. The coating, patented as SureSeal, is made from natural chemicals similar to those found in the skins of cherries: cellulose, palm oil-based wax and calcium.
BY LINDA BAKER
Spring rains are the bane of an Oregon cherry farmer’s existence. Even a few sprinkles can crack the fruit so badly it’s not worth picking. Science to the rescue: Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a spray-on film that cuts rain-related cracking in half, potentially saving a season’s crop. The coating, patented as SureSeal, is made from natural chemicals similar to those found in the skins of cherries: cellulose, palm oil-based wax and calcium.
“The product reinforces the natural cuticle that is already there,” says Lynn Long, an OSU horticulturist who has conducted field trials of the biofilm. When water falls on cherries, it creates an “osmotic gradient,” pulling water into the fruit, Long explains. As water leaks through, the cherry expands — and cracks.
SureSeal acts as a protective coating. But it’s not a complete solution. Cherries also split when soil gets oversaturated and water is drawn in through the root system, Long says. “Nothing you put on the outside is going to prevent that.” Fortunately, The Dalles, home base for Oregon’s $74 million cherry harvest, doesn’t get much heavy rain. A more immediate problem: It can be difficult to cover the entire cherry with the coating. “We do the best we can with the sprayer technology we have, but there are limitations,” Long says.
Does SureSeal, which expands as the cherry grows, leave an aftertaste? Not at all, says Long. “The product is totally food grade. We’re not putting anything on the cherry that is not already present.”
{jcomments on}
