Pollination is complete, the fruit buds have formed and the parrots have just pruned the branches for you—not just the small fruit but whole fruiting tips.
There is now a little sunburn on the fruit that is exposed to the harsh sun after you tidy up the damage.
It's a hurdle you shrug off, after all, there is still fruit and it means that you won’t have to thin as much later.
Then after tending and nurturing the remaining perfect crop, you discover that the birds have taste-tested all your best looking fruit.
Orchard art and other failures
The scare gun just isn’t working, the shiny circles reflecting light are just used by parrots to preen themselves before they attack your crop, the silhouette hawk is a piece of ‘orchard art’ for all the scaring it does, and in the evening the fruit bats descend in screeching hoards, fouling and scratching bark and fruit.
When they have almost finished their destructive visitations, a family of possums take up residence. And between their scrabbling and the moulds growing on the ruined crop, you get fruit fly strike…
Chemical free, organic, safe food production
These challenges are everyone’s concern, it has happened to all of us. Netting is the solution to bird damage, bat strike and possum foraging.
There are other advantages of course, against the vagaries of the weather: wind, sunburn and hail damage.
The reduction of sprays required under netting and the reduced water consumption are also significant savings.
Protecting your place in the market
Fruit exports are increasing. To meet the expansion and provide the quality of product the market demands, growers have to protect their investment.
Netpro has been protecting grower investment in Australia and New Zealand for 25 years. Through that success we have witnessed growth in our citrus industry, the burgeoning lychee and berry industries, and of course the crops we began protecting in southeast Queensland 25 years ago.
Netting choice can be tailored to each individual set of circumstances and one structure can provide multiple uses and benefits.
Discuss your options
It would be an advantage to discuss your options with our experienced sales staff to remain competitive in an ever changing and growing market place.
We have faced and met the challenges, what do you have to lose—other than your livelihood?
Contact Lindsay Adams
phone toll free 1300 638 776 or 07 4681 6666
email
www.netprocanopies.com
See this article in Tree Fruit Nov2017
