In a time when climate conditions are becoming increasingly unpredictable, it is becoming more difficult for fruit farmers to ensure consistent, high-quality yields.
Insufficient winter cold often leads to delayed and uneven bud break, placing pressure on production, fruit size and profitability. This is precisely where AECI’s plant growth regulator, LIFT, makes a significant difference.
LIFT is an emulsifiable concentrate plant growth regulator specifically developed to overcome delayed budding symptoms in pome and stone fruit orchards. The product contains a synthetic cytokinin – a plant hormone that is naturally formed in small quantities in root tips and moves upward through the xylem. This hormone plays a key role in cell division, bud formation and the breaking of dormancy.
The challenge of insufficient winter chilling
In regions with mild winters, such as many production areas in South Africa, trees often do not receive enough chilling units to properly enter and exit dormancy. This leads to a range of problems in spring:
- Uneven flowering periods
- Poor and inconsistent fruit size
- Insufficient and inefficient pollination
- More difficult management practices, such as thinning and harvesting
- Extended harvesting periods due to uneven ripening
- These factors directly contribute to lower yields and reduced profitability.
Traditional solutions and their limitations
Farmers have traditionally relied on combinations of mineral or plant-based oils together with hydrogen cyanamide to break dormancy. While these practices still play a role, they also present challenges.
Temperature and climate conditions after application are critical for success, and in cooler spring periods, effectiveness may be limited. There are also cases where young shoots are damaged, especially under wet or unfavourable conditions.
How LIFT makes a difference
LIFT offers a more stable and reliable solution, as it is less sensitive to temperature variations. The product works by:
- Effectively breaking dormancy
- Promoting uniform bud break and flowering
- Reducing apical dominance, which stimulates better lateral shoot development
- Activating “blind wood” and creating new fruit-bearing positions
- This improved vegetative growth leads to a stronger “leaf factory”, which is essential for carbohydrate production and energy supply to the tree.
Visible results in the orchard
Farmers using LIFT report noticeable improvements:
- Nearly complete opening of fruit and leaf buds
- Faster and more uniform bud break and flowering
- Strong, healthy growth with improved photosynthesis
- Consistent yields year after year
One of the biggest advantages is the impact on fruit size, with improvements of 15% to 20% at harvest time. In some cases, the harvest can even be advanced, creating valuable marketing opportunities.
Additional benefits
In addition to improved yield and quality, LIFT also offers other practical advantages:
- More leaves and shoots help reduce sunburn damage
- Strong vegetative trees are redirected toward more reproductive production, improving tonnes per hectare
- Improved return bloom ensures long-term stability
- Easy to use
- LIFT is user-friendly and easy to integrate into existing management practices. It is applied as a calendar spray before the first green tips appear, simplifying planning.
For optimal results, farmers should note the following:
- Apply on a windless day for good coverage
- Spray on dry trees
- Avoid application under stress conditions
- Ensure thorough wetting of the entire tree
A smart investment for modern farming
For farmers struggling with poor bud break, “blind wood”, or uneven production, especially in warmer winters, LIFT offers a targeted solution.
The best approach for new users is to start on a smaller section of the farm and evaluate the results firsthand. With the correct application and technical support from AECI’s crop advisors, LIFT can be a valuable tool to improve productivity and profitability.
For more information, visit AECI’s website.
