Dow AgroSciences are reminding growers that Fazor (maleic hydrazide) has a SOLA for use in carrots and parsnips to suppress re-growth and to help maintain quality. Its use can prolong local supply in over wintered carrots and parsnips for the supermarkets.
"Applied to the growing crop in the autumn at 25% leaf senescence, Fazor works by suppressing cell division which stops the development of the whole top growth and external root hairs in the spring. This appears to help in maintaining flavour, obviously a desirable characteristic from the consumer's viewpoint. This also helps to keep processing quality. Fazor has been shown to be crop safe to all varieties and can be used in conjunction with black polythene" explains Paul Savage of Dow AgroSciences.
As root hairs grow, the plant metabolises sugars and consequently quality is reduced. Fazor stops this process and so helps to maintain the taste and tenderness of the root crop. In parsnips, Fazor stops woody core and glazing in late-lifted crops and optimises market value. Prolonging the lifting period means that the supermarkets can source home grown UK carrots for longer.
Peter Parr, Horticultural Director for the national distributor, AgroVista, sees a useful place for this SOLA recommendation. "The best time to apply Fazor is when the crop foliage is mature and not actively growing and when 25 to 50% of the foliage is going yellow or senescing. By using this treatment, you generally get 10 to 14 days extra storage, sometimes longer. This helps spread the load in the pack houses nicely and extends the season."
