A North Carolina grower-shipper said his tomato yields have increased since he switched to Purshade plant protectant.
Purshade is a “sunscreen” for produce and other crops made by Fremont, Calif.-based Purfresh Inc.
The results achieved by Whittier, N.C.-based Cochran Farms Inc. mirror those of tomato grower-shippers in California and Florida who have used Purshade, which reflects ultraviolet rays and other harmful solar radiation but absorbs enough good light to allow plants to grow, according to a Purfresh news release.
Tomatoes are particularly susceptible to damage from the sun, which can lead to discoloring, sunken and wrinkled tissue, rot and cracking.
Purshade, which made Time magazine's list of the top 50 inventions of 2008, has been used on fruits and vegetables in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and other countries.
Apples, cherries, mangoes, avocados, melons, cabbage, celery, citrus, cranberries, spinach, grapefruit, pineapples, onions, peppers, walnuts and almonds are among the other commodities Purshade has been used on.