New Plant Sunscreen Tested By CA Farmers

A new sunscreen for fruits and vegetables is being tested in Australia and Chile, and now in California, MSNBC reports. Liquefied clay has been used for years as a sun shield, but a new product offers produce a sun protection factor (SPF) of 45, and is made of multicrystaline calcium carbonate crystals, engineered specifically to deflect ultraviolet and infrared light from the plants and trees on which it is sprayed. The product also keeps out the bad light, but lets in the good photosynthesis rays that aid ripening.

This new product could be a big break-through for farmers. For example, sunspots on a Granny Smith apple can mean the difference between the lowest price for juice or the more lucrative fresh fruit market. As for nuts, last year buyers paid on average three cents more per pound for sunscreen-protected nuts than untreated ones. It might not sound like much, but with yields topping 2,000 pounds an acre, farmers say it all adds up quickly.

The sunscreen could even help ease the effects of drought. Plants perspire, a process called transpiration, which means the more temperatures rise, the more water they need. As drought hits the world’s key growing regions, scientists are hoping this sunscreen will help conserve water by helping plants use less.