Table Grape is a high profit crop for growers, but its production is quite challenging on account of plant diseases, sustainable use of crop protection products, food safety issues related to residues of chemicals (MRLs) and dynamic international market requirements of retail chains. Plant diseases in particular can severely affect the quality of grapes, thus impacting the business of growers, exporters and fresh fruit retailers.
Bayer India’s Crop Science Division has ushered in a new revolution for the grape value chain with its new fungicide product: Luna® Experience. This new product will help grape growers increase the marketability of their produce due to its ‘Extended Grape Health’ benefit. Extended Grape Health refers to the superior protection provided by Luna® against crop quality related diseases like Powdery Mildew as well as latent diseases. Latent infections remain in a dormant stage in the berry and start showing disease symptoms only after harvest, thus affecting the shelf-life.
Luna® Experience is widely used for table grapes in several countries and has seen huge commercial success in South Africa, Italy, the USA and Chile. In India, Luna® Experience is being introduced with label claims on Powdery Mildew and Anthracnose for grapes. The product will be sold in pack sizes of 1 litre, 250 ml and 100 ml. Extensive field trials of Luna® Experience have shown excellent results for fruit quality and disease management. Luna® has also been tested by India’s National Research Center for Grapes (NRCG) and has been recommended to farmers as an effective product for Powdery Mildew protection (Source: Annex 5 published by NRCG dated 18.08.2016).
Speaking about the new product offering, Peter Mueller, Head of South Asia, Bayer Crop Science Division, said, “Luna® Experience will fulfill the need of Indian farmers for a revolutionary, new molecule for Powdery Mildew Management in grapes. With Luna®, grape growers can achieve excellent harvest quality, while minimizing post-harvest losses. Moreover, Luna® will also benefit grape exporters as it will maintain the health and freshness of grapes for a longer time by protecting against latent diseases. Ultimately, end-consumers will benefit from a large variety of high-quality fresh produce.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicates that about 1/3rd of global food production is lost or wasted annually. According to industry reports, the world produces nearly 1.5 billion metric tons of fruits and vegetables, of which 800 million metric tonnes are vegetables and nearly 700 million metric tonnes are fruits. The production and consumption of fruits and vegetables is essential for our society. Therefore by reducing waste, we can increase efficiency for the food industry and avoid the loss of resources. Bayer aims to support the food industry by providing extended shelf-life to fruits and vegetables, and at the same time maintaining the freshness, taste and health quality of the harvest.
Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.in.
Media Contacts:
Aloke Pradhan
Corporate Communications, Bayer Group in India
Phone: +91 22 2531 1090 | Email: aloke.pradhan@bayer.com
Forward-Looking Statements: This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at bayer.com/ bayer.in / cropscience.bayer.in . The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.