Mar 19, 2019

Arrigoni product protects against rain, insects in cherries

Cherry cultivation is one of the most complex and delicate crops. Like other fruits such as kiwi, peach or plum, it can suffer important negative effects from excessive rainfall, increasingly common in the season of fruit ripening (starting from the second decade of May).

Italy-based Arrigoni proposes new solutions that improve cultivation practices. Moreover, it combines the possibility of protecting crops from the attack of harmful insects, such as the dreaded Drosophila Suzukii and other species to the advantages of defense against atmospheric agents.

“Until now,” said Giuseppe Netti, agronomist from Arrigoni, “damages of rain on cherries was prevented by means of plastic film covers. In several cases this solution produces satisfactory results. However, it is not 100 percent effective. This is due to the fact that a totally “waterproof” product reduces the air passage (which remains only in the horizontal direction) and favors a moist environment on sunny days, altering the microclimate of the orchard and causing an excess of humidity. Consequences are damage or reduction of the harvest. Moreover, such a cover can cause serious damage to the structure in the event of strong winds”.

“Arrigoni research has thus developed a specific innovative product: Protecta. This is a new concept of coverage – Netti continues – which guarantees multiple advantages: reduction in the percentage of water flow; maintaining sufficient air flow and a good microclimate; high mechanical strength; long life (over 6 years in Italy); hail, wind, frost and sun protection.”

Protecta by Arrigoni is made of high tenacity Arline HT monofilament and contains specialadditives to increase its durability and favor the sliding of rain outside rows. The resulting mesh fabric is very dense (39 threads per square centimeter),which allows to break up the drop and reduce the passage of water by about 90 percent.

“The tests on Protecta,” Netti said,  “were carried out by subjecting the fabric to a very high rainfall intensity: 60 mm/h, or the same conditions as a heavy downpour.”

To combine the advantages of a safe rain protection with those of excluding the most invasive insect species from orchards, Arrigoni has also developed Protecta System. In this case, the rainproof fabric is complemented by the side protection provided by Biorete screens, which are effective in preventing harmful insects from reaching the crops and causing damage in fruit-growing. The insect protection system consequently reduces the need for pesticides, with solutions that manage to counter the attacks of Drosophila Suzukii (spotted wing drosophila) and other harmful insects.

To these highly technological proposals,” Netti said, “we combined great ease of installation and collection operations. For example, with Protecta System installed row by row, Biorete screens must simply be rolled up, otherwise the plants are always sheltered and protected”.

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