Page 53 - SA Fruit Journal VOLUME 14

Can you afford NOT to have protection?Protect your tree crops from damage caused by hail, wind, sun and other damaging natural elements.ADVERTORIALDrape Net is a physical crop protection system that provides effective protec- tion for a range of tree crops without the needto invest in costly permanent structures. Drape Net has proven to be successfuland has been used in Australia for 12 years.Advantages of Drape NetIt can be deployed and removed with ease, especially when using the Drape Net tractor attachment, proudly built in South Africa.Drape Net can be ordered in a range of widths, weights to suit the specified purpose, the tree size, age, and the extent of coverage needed.Drape Net is economical as it costs but a fraction of the price of permanent structures. It is also not susceptible to damage caused by the weight of hail or snow dumped in a major weather event.Drape Net will last a number of seasons (10 or more) even though it is of the same grade than the netting used for permanent structures. The net is not used the whole year and there- fore it is less likely to deteriorate as quickly.As Drape Net is physically draped overthe trees it acts as a tree growth regulator, dramatically reducing the summer growth.When to use Drape NetDrape Net is usually applied after blossom and then removed again immediately before har- vest. However, it can be deployed and removed at any time according to the needs of the grow- er and the nature of the threat to the crop.All spray treatments can be applied through the net, and trials have shown a better wetting due to a swirling effect inside the net. (Drape Net SA does not recommend having any changes made to the spray programmes, and recommend internal tests done on the farm as the nozzle, spray particles and spray towers differ from farm to farm).Fruit grown beneath the net is likely to return the same or better pack out than fruit grown without the net.It is important that fruit grown beneath Drape Net be monitored and sprayed in the same way as fruit grown without the net. Drape Net acts as a diffuser for harsh sun- light and mitigates its damaging effect.Deployment and removing Drape NetDrape Net can be quickly and easily deployed and removed with the cost effective Drape Net machine, proudly manufactured locally. The high lift auto tension machine runs off a tractor’s hydraulic system and attaches to a 3 point linkage. The Drape Net machine winds the net tightly onto removable and reusable spindles. Well trained staff could deploy 5 hectares per day.Removing Drape Net is at least 10% to 20% quicker than deploying it and the operation is likely to require less human resource input than the deployment operation. The deployment ef- fort required will also depend on the orchard layout and terrain. Clearly many long straightrows on flat ground will make for a quicker and easier job. No foreign construction staff is on the farm for long periods of time.Drape Net is versatileDrape Net can be made to measure in a va- riety of widths, weights, lengths (6 to 12 me- ters) and with various hole sizes. This means a suitable type of Drape Net can be manufac- tured for almost all tree crops.Heavier net will tend to last longer than lighter net. Orchardists have been using 55 grams per square metre (g/m2) for 8 years with minimal maintenance. Trials have shown that 60 g/m2 net provide the best bal- ance between weight and durability.Drape Net has been successfully used on apples, cherries, pears and citrus. Growers of other tree crops such as summer fruit and av- ocados and mangos may also find Drape Net a useful and economical protection against a range of threats. To date trials and usage have shown Drape Net to be an excellent protector of apples and citrus.There is a high level of optimism that tri- als will show that virtually any cropping trees can be covered to protect trees from any of the major weather elements.Growers’ experience of Drape NetFor most growers the motivation to buy net is to protect their fruit against the physical damage caused by hail, wind, sunburns and other major threats without the expenditure of the much larger sums required to erect permanent netting structures and the fear of it failing in major weather storms.Want to know moreContact Jan Le Roux of Drape Net SA+27 74 104 6880 or kwamvelo@iafrica.com or drapenet@gmail.comPROMOSIE 50 FEB | MAART 2015