Performance trialing of a dynamic, automated cherryorchard cover system to protect crop against rain, hail and pests
The proposed Project’s primary goal is to devise an innovative, fully automated system providing integral protection of new and extant cherry orchards using cover sheets and netting that open and close automatically vis-à-vis impending weather conditions, plant health risks and, especially, pest attacks.
The submitted proposal calls for setting up and testing an innovative system combining netting and sheeting layers that are fully automated so as to open and close in immediate response to weather conditions and impending risk of crop pest infestations. It is in effect a two-stage system trial. The first is to focus on the conversion of an existing, manual covering to the new automated one without altering trellis wires and posts. The second is to establish outright a prototype of the new innovative and completely automated system.
The main result expected is to be the delivery of two fully automated prototypes of cover systems suitable for both new and extant cherry orchards that confer the following advantages upon installation: effective defence against adversities both abiotic, like cracking, and biotic, like attack by Drosophila suzukii and Halyomorpha Halys, improved tree photosynthetic efficiency, uniform fruit ripening on each tree, potential to schedule harvest date even vis-à-vis rain events, reduced incidence of fungi attacks for a healthier crop, saving of overhead time via faster system opening and closing, potential use of cover system as defence against frost, and saving of overhead cost vis-à-vis single-row cover systems.
Main project benefits/opportunities for end-users:
- Less environmental fallout resulting from reduced number of spray treatments and polluting chemicals released.
- Potential for reducing overall capital outlays due to longer orchard life, lower overhead costs for managing automated cover system that is even installable in extant orchards.
- Assurance of achieving higher quality commercial crop yield even in seasons of frequent rainfall or marked by emergency plant health threats that are usually hard to control effectively.
- Potential for growing and producing early- and very early-season cherry cultivars particularly susceptible to cracking.
- Higher quality fruit and assurance of constant cropping over time.
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Coperture automatizzate per il frutteto - Rivista Agricoltura lug/ago 2017
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