Why Smoke Taint Is No Joke for Grape Growers
Growing Produce Article
May 13, 2020
By Thomas Skernivitz
History is fraught with unintended discovery: Velcro, Play-Doh, Teflon, and Viagra are each attributed to serendipitous innovation.
The discoverer of penicillin left a dirty petri dish in the lab sink before going on vacation. Upon returning, he found the plate covered in bacteria ― except in an area where mold had formed.
And closer to home for fruit growers, Newton went on to establish his theory of gravity after watching an apple fall from a tree in his yard.
Today such happenstance may be dropping into the lap of Cultiva, a Las Vegas-based company that focuses on plant cuticle care. Its anchor product, Parka, has proven effective since being introduced in 2013. Growers have been applying the phospholipid spray to high-value crops to improve fruit quality and finish, suppress rain cracking, increase yield, and prolong shelf life.
