"Tutoring system saves labour"

"Thanks to our efficient, time-saving and cost-effective plant management, greenhouse plants can be kept in excellent condition at all times," says Alessandro Avarino of SIA Sicilia Group. He claims that his guidance system, Ideal Tutor, is the simplest and most cost-effective system for correct plant management in intensive greenhouse cultivation.

"This is a tried and tested system that facilitates the tying of the plants and saves a great deal of time. The time required to remove the foliage at the end of production is even faster," the inventor says. "The system is so practical and functional that it is in demand in the major greenhouse countries around the world." 

A technological greenhouse where the SIA system is installed

"Most of the time, planting in greenhouses is done by simply tying off nylon wires that are placed at the same distance from the plant and to which the plants are hooked," Alessandro says. "However, this action, which is necessary for the regular development of the plants, is labor-intensive and involves considerable production costs. This work also requires additional stabilization and repetition of the operations over time." 

That's why he developed the Ideal Tutor system, which consists of a structure made of polyethylene wires, which are used for tying up the most common greenhouse crops such as tomatoes, aubergines and peppers.

"The system is very versatile and has different solutions for the size of the wires, the dimensions of the wires and the size of the crop. There is also a wide choice of hooks, single or multiple, for top anchoring," he shows. 

Even in a large greenhouse, only two workers are needed to install the system.

The system comes in packaged rolls, which allow the overall height and distance between the vertical wires to be determined in advance. "Only two workers are required for installation and the system reduces the working hours and ensures that the plants are tied up correctly, thus maximizing their growth. It also improves conditions for farm workers, who do not have to physically take on burdensome postures many hours a day." 

In the video below, Alessandro Avarino explains how the system works.

Ideal Tutor Dinamico
Now he added more functionalities to the system with the upgrade Ideal Tutor Dinamico. "This is essentially the same construction system as the previous one, but with the addition of a modular system that allows the crop to be lowered to the desired height, from 30 to 60 cm per module."

"The operations can be carried out several times, with the possibility of lowering the crop and thus allowing it to continue growing. In this way, the crop's vegetative life can be extended, within the same cultivation, increasing its productivity without incurring the long series of costs for replanting it," Alessandro concludes.