Lowndes County Agent Jake Price coordinates our Satsuma production updates and manages a rootstock variety trial below Valdosta. He has come across some sunburned fruit I want to share.
Portions of the fruit, (blossom end mostly) are turning yellowish orange. This is from intense sunlight causing a burn on exposed fruit. This can cause the cells underneath the burn to dry up and reduce fruit quality. The fruit I have dissected do not seem to be dry underneath the burn at this time but that could change. There is really nothing that can be done about this. There has been some work done using kaolin clay to cover the fruit but it is washed away with rain so it doesn’t seem practical.
Sunburn
Thomas County Ag 