Many may associate Piedmont with prestigious wines and hazelnuts, but the region is also a fruit producer. It used to be the second Italian producer of kiwis but, due to the PSA, many reconverted the orchards into apple orchards.
Photo 1. Experimental Lagnasco Group orchard in Campiglione Fenile (CN) with new scab-resistant varieties covered with yellow, red and pearl Iridium® nets compared to traditional black nets. Photo by Daniele Martino, Lagnasco Group.
The nets are able to regulate the quantity and quality of sunlight, producing very interesting effects on the fruit. The colour of Fuji apples, for example, improves incredibly with yellow or pearl nets. Production of Red Delicious clones improves. Often, the results of a single year are enough to recover the money invested.
Photo 2. Kiwi orchard owned by a partner of Lagnasco Group in Revello (CN) covered with fluorescent, red and pearl Iridium® nets. Photo by Michele Bravetti, Agritenax.
But what are photoselective nets exactly?
Iridium® are the only photoselective anti-hail nets. They combine their anti-hail function with a more advanced technical function - their characteristic holes (2.4x4.8 mm) make it excellent protection against codling moths (as well as other moths). In addition they pose a good protection against the wind and sunlight - nets intercept 20% more of the sunlight than traditional 3x7 mm nets.
Photo3. The incredible hail load blocked by pearl Iridium® nets in Revello (CN) on May 19th. Photo by Daniele Martino, Lagnasco Group.
The first Iridium® nets were installed in Cuneo 8 years ago, and new tests are still being carried out on new apple and kiwi varieties.
Iridium® are the only photoselective anti-hail nets. They combine their anti-hail function with a more advanced technical function - their characteristic holes (2.4x4.8 mm) make it excellent protection against codling moths (as well as other moths). In addition they pose a good protection against the wind and sunlight - nets intercept 20% more of the sunlight than traditional 3x7 mm nets.
Photo3. The incredible hail load blocked by pearl Iridium® nets in Revello (CN) on May 19th. Photo by Daniele Martino, Lagnasco Group.
The first Iridium® nets were installed in Cuneo 8 years ago, and new tests are still being carried out on new apple and kiwi varieties.
Photo 4. A kiwi orchard with no nets affected by the devastating effects of the hailstorm of May 19th in Revello (CN). Photo by Giampaolo Dal Pane, Dal Pane Vivai.
A very interesting project is the orchard in Campiglione Fenile followed by Lagnasco Group Soc. Coop. a r.l (Lagnasco, CN), which has the objective of achieving a low environmental impact for the production of Epli® apples. The aim is to study how the sunlight filtered through Iridium® nets affects new scab-resistant apple varieties (photo 1). It is still too early to make an assessment, but it seems the results achieved thanks to pearl nets are rather interesting.
Photo 5. Gullino Import-Export S.r.l. Gala apple orchard in Cuneo. The orchard is covered with fluorescent, pearl, red and yellow photoselective Iridium® nets compared with a black net. Photo by Michele Bravetti, Agritenax.
Lagnasco Group is testing Iridium® nets also on new kiwi trees in Revello (CN) (photo 2). The structure is less than a month old but it has already had to withstand the huge hailstorm that hit the area on May 19th (photos 3 and 4).
Photo 6. Gullino Import-Export S.r.l. plum orchard in Revello (CN). The trees are covered with pearl and yellow photoselective Iridium® nets. Photo by Michele Bravetti, Agritenax.
Gullino Import-Export Srl (Saluzzo, CN) has also installed Iridium® nets to cover a rather new variety of Gala apples (photo 5) and assess how it influences their quality and quantities produced. Gruppo Gullino has been using yellow nets on its plum orchards for years (photo 6).
Photo 7. Az Rostagno Nebbiolo grapes terracing in Forno Canavese (TO).
Az. Rostagno (Forno Canavese, TO) chose yellow Iridium® nets to protect its prestigious Nebbiolo grapes from hailstorms (photo 7). The grapes produce a well-structured white spumante wine.
Source: article and photos by Dott. Agr. Michele Bravetti
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