# Improve Storage and Shelf Life of Avocados After Picking with Calcium and Good Bacteria

- Link: https://rd2.co.nz/improve-storage-and-shelf-life-of-avocados-after-picking-with-calcium-and-good-bacteria/
- Published: 2019-07-21T23:15:45+00:00
- Author: RSF Admin

Calcium and Nitrogen levels play an essential role in the firmness and storage life
of your fruit after picking. Glycine Chelated Calcium applications applied before
picking will help stabilise the cell walls and membranes. This means they don’t 
get that soft, rubbery feeling when ripening. Fruit will remain robust with a slower
ripening period, and with a reduction in storage rot.
 The more Ca in the cells,
the more resistant the tissue to physiological disorders, so avoid a high nitrogen
and low Calcium environment, to lessen the risk of soft and poorer internal quality
fruit with pulp spot issues. Fruit with low Ca concentrations are more susceptible
to post-harvest diseases caused by fungal pathogens, such as anthracnose and stem-
end rot.

## Good Bacteria

The use of antagonistic microorganisms for bio-control purposes such as _Bacillus
subtilis_ has emerged as a viable disease management strategy and the application
of such products in conjunction with systemic calcium that is wax soluble and up
taken within a matter of hours is especially valuable to crop quality.
 **We recommend
a combination application of BIOMIN Calcium with Fulzyme Plus**

### Not All Calcium Products Produce Great Results

Please note, these results discussed above can only be guaranteed with a Calcium
product that is effectively absorbed by the plant. A glycine chelated calcium product
is more effective than CaNO3, probably due to more efficient uptake and translocation
of the product. 
 Another advantage of using glycine chelated products is their 
safety — even high application rates — up to 4 times the recommended rate — give
no phytotoxicity. This is in direct contrast to the phytotoxicity experienced with
high rates of CaNO3 and CaCI.