skip to Main Content
Sa Fruit Journal Aug Sept 2021 Rest Breaking Agents Featured
August / September 2021

Research on Rest-breaking Agents – Results of trials in apple trees

SA Fruit Journal: August / September 2021

Dr Xolani Siboza of Hortgro has been leading a research project on rest-breaking agents in apple trees. Dian Craven is the master’s student involved in this project, and he is co-supervised by Prof Karen Theron, Hortgro Chair in Applied Preharvest Deciduous Fruit Research at Stellenbosch University. The project is funded by Hortgro. By Anna Mouton

Siboza is seconded to the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University, where we caught up with him to hear about their preliminary results.

The cyanamide conundrum

“In South Africa, growers can’t farm without hydrogen cyanamide,” states Siboza. Cyanamide is the active ingredient in several products that are registered for promoting bud-break and foliation in deciduous fruit. These so-called rest-breaking agents help growers to overcome the effects of insufficient winter chill on their trees. “Hydrogen cyanamide is a very successful rest-breaking agent,” explains Siboza. “The problem that we’re facing is that hydrogen cyanamide has been banned in many countries.”

Read More
Back To Top