Hail is one of the worst atmospheric precipitations for fruit growers, due to its often devastating effects.
It can destroy entire crops and render plants totally unproductive, even several years later. In the past few seasons, storms accompanied by hail have become a regular summer occurrence.
Arrigoni, a leading international actor in the field of technical textiles for agriculture, now offers solutions which are not only efficient, but also respectful of the environment, adapted to each crop and particularly versatile.
Fructus® is the special line of nets woven in monofilament in high tenacity HDPE, stabilized against UV rays. These nets are made with gauze weave, composed of two different monofilaments for each chain. This particular weave ensures that the net is unmountable and therefore more resistant. With strong lateral and central edges, they are especially suited for long-row installation. Finally, the Fructus nets are particularly versatile and meet the different needs of each anti-hail system.
Iride® is a range that includes the Iridie UVA and Iride DUE nets, efficient screens against frost and hail, truly unbeatable thanks to their knitted mesh. The range offers nets which are ideal to cover tunnels, greenhouses and orchards. Besides, Iride Multi Pro guarantees an ideal hole size, thick mesh and robustness, characteristics which make this net the ideal solution against hail, even in combination with nets from the Fructus range.
There are two types of installations against hail to protect the orchards, depending on the plant arrangements, the morphology of the land and other important variables. They are the flat net system and the hut net system. With the flat system, the nets are installed horizontally so tools can pass without any difficulty. It is the most economic type of installation, and the easiest to install. The hut type was the first anti-hail system used to protect plants. The nets are placed in a slanted position for the hail to go down easily, therefore avoiding a perilous accumulation that would compromise the stability of the structure.
In addition to these two basic solutions, it is also possible to configure a special V5 system, which represents an evolution from the flat system. The V5 was actually developed recently to solve the problem of hail accumulation and discharge. The posts, anchors and nets remain the same as in the flat system, so does the height of the structure, determined by the longitudinal cables. What is different is the traction, reached with an elastic cable between the nets, which then form a “V” between the rows. This way, the hail is collected and channeled, which facilitates its evacuation from the nets. The V5 system can also be installed on all types of orchards, with a distance between rows greater than 3.5 meters and a height of 5 meters.
According to Paolo Arrigoni, CEO of Arrigoni, “climate change strongly affects agriculture in many countries around the world. Even the intensity and frequency of phenomena such as hail storms have changed. At Arrigoni, we have long been committed to study efficient solutions to limit and face these new challenges, while respecting eco-sustainability, a principal which guides our philosophy. Fructus® and Iride® represent concrete solutions that are easy to apply and which stand out for their practicality and effectiveness on the most diverse crops, from apples to kiwis, vineyards and fruit crops in general.”
About Arrigoni
The Arrigoni group has been active in the technical textile industry since 1936. In 1959, the group started making polyethylene nets. It now has over 50 years of experience in the insect net sector. The group’s coordination office is located in Uggiate Trevano (Como), just outside Milan and near the airports of Linate and Malpensa. Its three production sites cover a total area of 1,184,030 square feet, of which 419,793 are covered. The group counts 160 direct employees, and its production capacity reaches more than 6,000 tons of nets per year. Arrigoni designs, produces and distributes: innovative agrotextiles for better climate control and for the production of healthier and safer food, as well as other outdoor textiles for technical and/or environmental use. The group currently is a key player in the application of technical textiles for agriculture.
For more information:
Jessica Sabatini
Press Office Arrigoni c/o fruitecom
via Monte Prato 3
22029 Uggiate Trevano, Italy
Phone: +39 338 73 07 649
www.arrigoni.it