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It appears that the criticaJ period for the Initiation of bitter pit is 

 in the early stages of fruit growth, rather than later in the season. 



Without a surfactant, droplets of the calcium solution concentrate 

 at the leaf margins producing a burn or scorch. Similarly, droplets 

 concentrate on the fruit surface causing lenticel spotting. 



Spray when good drying conditions prevail. Spraying when leaves 

 are wet or in late afternoon increases the danger of leaf scorch. 



Calcium chloride (technical or industrial grade) may be used at 

 the rate of 3 pounds/100 gallons of water instead of calcium nitrate, 

 but there is greater danger of leaf scorch from calcium chloride. 



While foliar calcium sprays reduce the incidence of bitter pit, 

 they do not eliminate bitter pit. We have not been able to obtain 100 

 percent control of the disorder in any four experiments. 



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