Fewer Sprays, Firmer Apples: Albina Solves Bitter Pit with Less Calcium

Albina for Apples: A Smarter Solution for Bitter Pit and Shelf-Life

Apples are among the most economically important fruit crops globally, yet growers face ongoing challenges from physiological disorders like bitter pit and the gradual softening of fruit in storage. These two issues, though separate in manifestation, share a common underlying cause: inefficient calcium uptake by fruit tissue.

Despite the widespread use of foliar calcium sprays, postharvest losses remain high-and many calcium programs fall short because they fail to solve the real problem: getting calcium into the fruit where it counts.

Albina, a functional fertiliser from Levity Crop Science, is changing that. Functional fertilisers are nutrient products enhanced with bioactive compounds that improve nutrient absorption, targeting specific physiological pathways within the plant.

Unlike conventional fertilisers that rely solely on nutrient content, functional fertilisers like Albina deliver performance by influencing how plants absorb and use nutrients-resulting in greater efficiency, consistency, and outcomes even under physiological stress.

Using LoCal, a proprietary Membrane Calcium Absorption Stimulant (MCAS), Albina enables fruit cells to absorb calcium efficiently even in late-season, low-auxin conditions where conventional calcium fails. This enhanced absorption significantly improves nutrient use efficiency (NUE), maximising benefits while minimising inputs.

Understanding Bitter Pit

Bitter pit appears as sunken, brown lesions in apple skin and flesh. It is not simply caused by low calcium levels in the orchard, but by calcium failing to reach and enter the fruit during early development. Key contributing factors:

• Calcium travels only via the xylem, driven by transpiration.
• Leaves, not fruit, receive most of the calcium due to higher transpiration rates.
• As fruit matures, auxin levels decline, shutting down calcium transport pathways into fruit cells.

This is why repeated, heavy applications of conventional calcium rarely eliminate bitter pit: the calcium never makes it into the fruit.

The Albina Difference

Albina uses LoCal MCAS technology to actively stimulate calcium absorption by fruit cells, bypassing the auxin-dependent barrier. This unique mechanism allows Albina to:

• Increase calcium uptake late into fruit development
• Improve cell wall integrity and resilience
• Provide significant results with lower calcium inputs
• Enhance nutrient use efficiency (NUE) compared to traditional foliar calcium

Unlike standard calcium sprays, Albina improves fruit calcium levels with fewer applications and a fraction of the calcium dose.

Research Summary: Field and Lab Results

All Levity products are backed by high levels of scientific research, and strong field data. Albina has been studied extensively and is producing great results on apples in the UK, US and Europe. In this article we are showcasing research findings from New Zealand.

Field Study: Bitter Pit Control with Lower Calcium Input

A 2020–2021 field trial on ‘Braeburn’ apples in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand compared Albina to two leading calcium products.

• Albina reduced bitter pit even at 90% lower calcium use
• 4 applications of Albina were as effective as 14 applications of standard calcium
• Albina-treated fruit maintained firmness better after 6 weeks in storage

Lab Study: Post-Harvest Shelf-Life Extension

In a UK lab simulation, supermarket apples were treated post-harvest with:

• 5% Calcium solution
• 5% Albina solution (same calcium + LoCal)
• Untreated control

Results over 15 weeks at 12–14°C:

• From Week 5 onward, Albina-treated apples retained significantly higher firmness than both other groups
• By Week 13, Albina fruit still showed meaningful firmness, while others softened considerably
• No weight loss differences were observed across treatments

This proves Albina continues working even after harvest, offering value across the entire supply chain.

Why Albina is the Smart Choice for Apple Quality

Albina delivers more with less. It protects fruit quality, extends shelf life, and reduces input costs.

Sustainability Impact

By reducing fruit losses both in the orchard and in storage, Albina helps growers:

• Cut food waste
• Reduce chemical inputs
• Improve profitability and sustainability metrics

Fewer sprays, less calcium runoff, and more marketable fruit mean Albina™ offers value across environmental, economic, and quality dimensions.

Conclusion

Calcium is essential to apple quality, but it only works if it gets into the fruit. Albina uses science-backed LoCal technology to solve this uptake problem, delivering reliable control of bitter pit, improved firmness, and longer shelf life with a lower input burden. As a high-efficiency functional fertiliser, Albina™ offers unmatched performance in calcium delivery, helping growers improve NUE and fruit quality with less environmental impact.

References: Dodgson, J.; Weston, A.K.; Marks, D.J. (2023). Tomato Firmness and Shelf-Life Increased by Application of Stimulated Calcium. Crops, 3(4), 251–265. https://doi.org/10.3390/crops3040023

Dodgson, J.; Weston, A.K.; Marks, D.J. (2024). Control of Bitter Pit in Apple Achieved with Reduced Calcium Inputs. Acta Horticulturae, 1396.