Surround gets organic accreditation

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Surround, the well known brand in the sunburn and heat stress protection market now has another feather in its cap. NASAA, the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia has recently approved Surround as an input for organic crop production. This approval allows organic growers to apply Surround to protect their crops against the harsh effects of sunburn and heat stress whilst maintaining their organic status.

It is widely recognised that sunburn and heat stress can reduce yields of fruit and vegetables by up to 30%. This can place enormous pressure on grower returns as both quality and quantity of the produce is affected. Sunburn damage on crops is caused by an interaction of air temperature, ultraviolet (UV) and infrared radiation (IR). By applying Surround WP evenly to crops before the onset of heatwave conditions and keeping a protective layer on the crop over the summer, growers can minimise the losses expected from sunburn damage. Surround reflects more UV and IR radiation than any other product in the market.

Darren Thomas, sales and marketing manager for AgNova Technologies, the Australian supplier of Surround, said, "Surround crop protectant reduces crop damage caused by sunburn and heat stress when used according to the product label. Surround is a pH neutral formulation made from natural kaolin clay, which is refined and processed to create an optimum formulation that genuinely protects against sunburn and heat stress. It was co-developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and Engelhard Corporation in the 1990s, Surround was first trialled in Australia in 1998, and ongoing research over many years has refined its use throughout a wide range of crops, including wine grapes, pome fruit, stone fruit, tomatoes, onions and cucurbits."

For more information contact AgNova Technologies on (03) 9899 8100.