Drapenet – its success on pome fruit farms

South Africa’s apple and pear production areas experienced excellent growing conditions during the current season and is set for a record export crop. Apple exports are expected to rise by five per cent year-on-year to 38,4 million 12.5kg equivalent cartons.

Drapenet

– its success on pome fruit farms

Pears are due to grow by six per cent to 17.9 million 12.5kg equivalent cartons, which are about a six per cent increase from last year. This is according a recent report by Hortgro’s Trade and Markets Manager, Jacques du Preez. Pome fruit is the fourth biggest contributor to South Africa’s agriculture exports after citrus, wine and grapes and an important contributor to employment. The main producing areas are Ceres, Elgin, Grabouw, Vyeboom, Villiersdorp (all in the Western Cape) and the Langkloof region in the Eastern Cape. The total production area for apples in 2020 was 25,320 hectares, and for pears 12,925 hectares. Production in the northern part of the country is small compared to these regions.

GIRAFFE BOERDERY FARM

An initial trial with DrapeNet was executed on the Giraffe Boerdery farm of Denné Strydom in the Langkloof. Only a small area of the 312ha pome fruit farm was used to test the outcome of DrapeNet over apple trees. Currently, a total of 110ha is covered under DrapeNet, the rest is either under shade net structure, or open. The main purpose of the DrapeNet is to prevent apple trees from damage by hail, sunspot, wind chafing or loss of branches. In comparison with insurance premium expenses, it is more cost effective to install DrapeNet or even shade net structures. Most pome varieties like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Packhams and Early Bon Chretien do best under black net. The Bi-Colour variety is covered with a white net and a further trial was completed recently with silver shade net. The cultivars which proved to be successful under the silver net were African Carmine and Royal Beaut. According to Denné, they covered 36ha of Forelle pears with white shade net and on trial; three hectares under black net. They found Forelle lose its colour under the black net causing loss in marketable quality. Grey or white net over Forelle

Denné Strydom, owner of Giraffe Boerdery.

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At Giraffe Boerdery, they did trials with black, grey and white shade net structures and drapenet.

Pome fruit is the fourth biggest contributor to south africa’s agriculture exports after citrus, wine and grapes and an important contributor to employment. The main producing areas are Ceres, elgin, Grabouw, Vyeboom, Villiersdorp (all in the Western Cape) and the Langkloof region in the eastern Cape.

obtain best results. Around 40% Vermont Beaut pears were packed (grown under white net) and on top of this, the fruit’s colour was not lost at the time of sugar increase. The difference between DrapeNet and shade net structures is that the first covers each individual tree from top to bottom which prevents it from damage; sometimes the end-of-row trees may be slightly damaged; whereas with shade net structures, the trees are well below the nets and more protected(although outside perimeter trees are sometimes less protected). Denné is satisfied that both systems prove to be almost 99% effective. They have a few Granny Smith orchards which are left in the open to compare results with the covered trees, and the pack-out on these was around 57%. These apples have a ‘blush’ while the same variety under shade net maintains its green, realistic Granny Smith appearance. The pack-out from trees under shade net realizes a magnificent 88-92% (including the damaged ones). Thus; only 8% of the production under shade net is apples that were thrown out or being under-sized. In particular, the Golden Delicious apples pack out just under 100%. Four orchards of the Packham pear variety were covered under white net as a trial to establish its effectiveness, but Donné wants to test the grey net over these and also black net which will cover Early Bon Chretien (it is rated the same as Goldens and Granny’s) orchards as well. It was found that the Packham pears have sunburn spots under white net, but under black net no sunburn was detected at all. As far as wind damage on his orchards, Denné says when walking in among structure net or DrapeNet covered orchards during average wind, there is almost no sense of wind; he therefore strongly advise the use of shade net over

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DRaPENET – ITS SUCCESS oN PoME FRUIT FaRMS 15

pome fruit orchards. Some farmers have it that one needs not spray fruit under DrapeNet , but Denné prefers to have a longer spraying cycle as he wants to ensure that if a moth should creep up a tree under DrapeNet , his crop is well-protected. He also advises producers to be ‘spot on’ with their spraying programs and fervent in managing these. The DrapeNets are tied up above the trees when bio-chemical thinning out takes place and afterwards the nets are let down again to protect the trees. Denné’s opinion of those producers who said they obtain smaller fruit from their orchards, possibly lacked in thinning out the trees properly. Careful but proper thinning out of sucker branches will have the tree produce even-sized fruit. On the question of bitter pit disorders, Denné says that some people think shade nets to be the culprit, but bitter pit may not be evident at harvest and is said to develop in stored fruit and could result in extensive losses. He sprays an additional Calcium crop spray in case the nets might be the cause, but by and large to ensure his crop is safe against most known pests.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND INSTALLATION

“It takes one digger machine and eight assistants to install the DrapeNets. It is a relatively quick process and we found that, with two teams and machines we install around five hectares per day. The DrapeNets are not taken off during harvesting or thinning out; a cable above the trees allow the assistants to roll up the DrapeNet and tie it neatly above the trees until they have finished working in the orchard, when they untie and let the nets down again. This largely accounts for less tears and replacement during handling,” Denné explained. On the Giraffe Boerdery farm a 63ha orchard paid off the installation of its DrapeNets within one year. Even when they experienced extraordinary hail storms, Denné found the ultimate period for recoup of investment on DrapeNet installation less than three years.

IRRIGATION PROGRAMS

The older trees under DrapeNet on the farm are being irrigated every two weeks according to tensiometer readings. The other and younger orchards are being sprayed weekly according to soil moist readings.

Apples produced under drapenet produce more than 90 % at pack out, according to Denné Strydom. According to Denné Strydom, production under shade net is an absolute must to obtain maximum pack out.

When picking or servicing trees, the drapenet is simply lifted and tied at the top to move faster through the orchards.

The difference between Drapenet and shade net structures is that the first covers each individual tree from top to bottom which prevents it from damage; sometimes the end-of-row trees may be slightly damaged; whereas with shade net structures, the trees are well below the nets and more protected(although outside perimeter trees are sometimes less protected).

SUkSES MET DRAPEERNET OOR POMOLOGIESE VRUGTEBOORDE

Denné Strydom van Giraffe Boerdery, krakeel in die Langkloof, is oortuig van die sukses van skadunet en veral drapeernet oor sy appel en peerboorde. Op sy sowat 320ha plaas is daar slegs 90ha wat hy gaan dek met drapeernet binne die volgende drie jaar. Volgens Denné, met goeie oes aan sy kant, verhaal hy sy investering op net strukture binne een jaar, maar konserwatief gesproke, behoort die produsent sy koste binne ‘n maksimum van drie oeste te verhaal. “Ons kan eenvoudig nie die uitpak resultate verkry sonder nette oor ons boorde nie,” sê Strydom.