Australian Stonefruit Grower Magazine Issue 2 August 2016 | Page 41

Advertising feature Net Gain A win-win situation for growers Every grower needs to consider netting sometime in the life of the orchard. N etting is mainly put up as a defence against bird attack on ripe fruit, but it also has side benefits of protecting sensitive fruit from wind damage and loss of crop due to hail and severe storms. There is some evidence that it can guard against insect pests, which can’t see through fine mesh nets. Nets can also be effective defence against bats and possums if erected correctly. If the only problems come from medium sized birds such as parrots and starlings, and fruit bats, then a medium sized 40mm net will do the job. But if the orchard is liable to attack from smaller silvereyes you will need a smaller sized mesh. If you need to keep out insects or other small pests you will need a double or quad crossover net. But if your crop needs pollination you can’t use crossover net because the bees can’t, or won’t, fly through it. Some growers even put hives inside the permanent canopy structure with varying success. summerfruit.com.au Every grower knows what the current problem predators are, but few can predict what they will be over the life of the orchard. Species are replaced by others in response to the available food chain which can vary permanently as well as seasonally. The next choice is between seasonal throw-over netting (sometimes called a floating cover) or a permanent structure. Vineyards, and other crops that need to be protected from birds and insects, use throw-over for the six or so weeks they are vulnerable. However, stonefruit growers must protect against hail damage for the whole time the crop is on the tree. The difference in cost is considerable; throwover costs about $3 to $4000 a hectare, an effective hail cover can cost up to $45,000. Hail net needs to be about 9mm with a crossover but fish farm net can be effective at 75mm. Clearly a hail net structure needs to be very much stronger than that used for bird protection. To work out how strong the structure should be a structural engineer should be consulted, they can calculate the porosity of the net and the likely wind speeds the structure will need to survive. For more information on netting and personal expert advice on how to use it under specific conditions and for specific problems, contact OTCO Agricultural netting by email: [email protected] Visit the website for available net specification: www.otcobirdnet.com.au To see a slide presentation on the sequence of erecting canopy go to www.otcobirdnet.com.au/PermanentCanopy.htm FOR PRICING AND DELIVERY INQUIRIES CALL 0428 611 559. august 2016 | Australian Stonefruit Grower 41