Global citrus production is constantly having to face new challenges. In the 2022/23 campaign output was just 47.5 million tonnes, a fall of 5% from the previous season, due above all to adverse weather conditions. In some areas, especially in Europe, these factors had strong negative effects on crops.
Arrigoni, which offers specific solutions for citrus, can now provide an additional benefit: the capability for digitising all orchards on Agriculture 4.0 principles, thanks to the i4Fruit network of companies. A network of sensors is perfectly integrated with the physical protection systems installed in orchards to meet all the modern farmer’s crop defence and productivity needs.
From today citrus protection becomes more high-tech, integrated with functional systems to meet a dual need: the provision of a physical barrier against adverse weather factors and, at the same time, the important capability for planning optimal agronomic management of the orchard.
Giuseppe Netti an Arrigoni agronomist explains: “We offer a wide array of solutions depending on the farmer’s geographical area and the type of terrain. They range from Fructus® 5/4, an anti-hail net with shading factor of 8% to Scirocco® 50 White, and shading factor of 10% and from Iride® Multi Pro, transparent white run-proof Raschel mesh with shading factor of 8%, to Libeccio® 50 Transparent anti-hail and anti-frost protection, with shading factor of 9%. All these solutions can be completed by suitable digital instrumentation which enables the grower not only to provide protection against the weather and insect pests but also to enjoy constant, optimal control of their orchard, with real-time information on the situation at every moment so they can decide when, how and with what to intervene.”
The new Agriculture 4.0 protection system at the “Badiula” agriturismo farm at Carlentini (Syracuse, Sicily), where the owners chose Arrigoni screens combined with digital sensors to protect their organic lemon orchards, was presented to the public during the last few weeks. The entire system was installed by the i4fruit network of companies, of which Arrigoni is a member. View a video of the system.
Giuseppe Di Giorgio, agronomist and proprietor of the Badiula farm: “We decided to construct this digitalised system to guarantee our lemon trees complete protection from diseases and adverse weather events. What’s more, this solution also provides us with an earlier crop, due to the increase in temperatures inside the net house, so we can get to market at a time when the product commands a higher value.”
The Badiula farm’s new digital system has already proved crucial during summer 2023. “In those months we experienced very high temperatures with peaks that actually reached 48 degrees Celsius, with serious consequences for the Verdello crop. In fact, in the unprotected lemon orchards we lost 50% of output, while there was no damage at all in the areas under the coverings,” Di Giorgio continued.
For more information:
Arrigoni
http://www.arrigoni.it/