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Can orchard defoliators increase the number of apples in the first pick and does allowing more sunlight really improve colouration?

Last August we were excited to deliver the UK’s first REDpulse Duo orchard defoliator to Boxford (Suffolk) Farms.

Developed by Fruit-tec, who many of you will know as the makers of the Darwin mechanical blossom thinner, in partnership with ERO, who produce a range of vineyard trimmers and defoliators, the pneumatic REDpulse Duo emits a high frequency pulsating air stream to remove leaves from the middle to lower half of the tree. This in turn helps to aerate fruit and allows for more sunlight to penetrate through the canopy to the fruit, increasing colouration and making picking easier.

Shortly after we’d delivered the REDpulse Duo to Boxford (Suffolk) Farms, farm manager Peter Kemp spoke to us about why he chose the machine and explained that the farm would be conducting several trials on the 110-hectare top fruit farm, having left an empty row in each orchard so they could compare fruit colour side-by-side. You can click here to read the article from last year.

A few weeks ago, we caught up with Peter to run through the results of these trials and find out how the REDpulse Duo had performed.

“We initially used the REDpulse on most of our Gala and just trialled it on some other varieties, like Braeburn, Cox and Daliclass,” said Peter. “It’s incredibly important to get the timing right, and from an operator’s point of view, you do have to drive relatively close to the trees, so you do have to be really alert and awake when you’re using it. Apart from that there have been no problems at all, and it’s not complicated to use.”

An initial assessment was conducted on the apples in Transplant South, looking at the difference between the treated and untreated rows 10 days after the REDpulse Duo had been used. The results of this showed that 20 apples on the treated rows averaged 45% colour, compared to 20 apples on the untreated row which averaged 32% colour – overall an increase of 13% colour.

A second assessment was conducted over 25 random trees in Transplant South a month after the REDpulse Duo had been used, after the first pick of Gala. These results showed that there were significantly more apples left on the untreated trees, with an overall average of 6 apples per tree being picked in the first pick on the treated trees. There was also significantly more colour on the remaining apples on the treated trees than the untreated, with the overall average colour being 8% higher on the treated trees.

Timings:

Treatment with the REDpulse Duo: 28/08/20

Initial Assessment: 7/09/20

Second Assessment: 28/09/20

From a figures point of view, based on the results which indicated that an average of six extra apples were picked per tree in the first pick, with 12,647 trees in Transplant South, that equates to 75,882 more apples picked.

Using the grading data from last year, the average weight of the Gala apples was 0.164kg, which is 12,445kg in total. Using the approx. price of 65p per kg, this added up to £8,089.25 extra for the first pick.

“Not only did it make the first pick better, but there was also a noticeable improvement in colouration on the second pick as well,” said Peter. “We were not expecting it to make quite as much difference as it did, but I was very surprised and happy to see the results. This year we are hoping to improve on these results and will be doing some more trials with it, particularly as we are now more confident using the machine.”

Like last year, the team will be looking to start using it around 6 weeks before the start of harvest and will focus the machine on the middle of the 3-metre trees, to remove the leaves from the fruit zone and expose the apples to the sun.

If you want more information, please do give the sales team a call on 01580 712200.

How to protect your tractors and machinery from theft.

Did you know that CESAR marking of agricultural machinery has contributed to a 60% decline in thefts since the scheme was launched in 2007?

That’s 60% fewer farmers put to the inconvenience of coping without the equipment they need, often at busy times of the year like harvest, never mind the cost and time of replacing the lost machine.

We’re now registered as a certified CESAR dealership and can provide and fit the state-of-the-art Datatag ID technology to new and existing tractors, as well as all types of self-propelled and trailer-mounted equipment.

The sophisticated multi-layered security system basically gives each machine its own unique ‘fingerprint’, which is impossible for thieves to remove. The Datatag security is made up of various elements, both visible to act as a deterrent and covert to aid identification and recovery.

Firstly, there’s a number of tamper-proof registration plates that are securely fitted to the machine’s chassis. A number of Datatag RFID transponders, each the size of a grain of rice, are hidden in the machinery, each with its own unique programmed code. The machine also has patches of chemical forensic liquid Datatag DNA painted on it, which has microscopic Datatag Datadots® suspended in it that are barely visible to the eye.

It’s literally impossible for thieves to remove all the tell tail identification traces from a CESAR registered machine.

Many of you will recognise the triangular CESAR registration plate which now acts as a significant deterrent against theft. Thieves don’t like risking themselves unnecessarily and would rather steal an unmarked tractor than one protected by the police-approved CESAR scheme.

Its almost unbeatable layers of security marking technologies also make it an invaluable aid to recovery, with CESAR marked machines more than twice as likely to be recovered as unmarked equipment. Hence why all major insurance companies offer discounts of up to 20% on premiums and reduced excesses for cover on CESAR-marked machines.

There is a secure and dedicated 24/7 UK secure contact centre and strong links with the Police, to ensure that details of stolen machinery can be circulated quickly, improving the chances of recovery.

One of the best things about the scheme is that there are no annual fees, just a one-off fee for the marking and registering your equipment for life. The cost of having CESAR registration fitted is easily recouped within a couple of years by reducing insurance premiums and excesses, yet the benefits remain for the life of your ownership of that machine.

If you want to chat through in more detail or want to book in to have your tractor fitted with CESAR technology, please do give me a call on 01580 712200.

Tom Wheatley, sales at NP Seymour

How to find a table-top strawberry sprayer for your individual site and set-up.

This month we are shining a ‘Seymour’s spotlight’ on our bespoke range of table-top strawberry sprayers.

Did you know that Nick built his first made-to-measure table-top sprayer in 2005?

From his strong engineering background Nick has always been keen to ensure customers get exactly what they need. After he was approached by Gaskains, who were looking for a strawberry sprayer which could operate in the narrow-width alleys, he started designing and fabricating a bespoke air assisted sprayer.

NP Seymour’s table-top strawberry sprayers remain in high demand and are still produced by the team at our Avon Work’s site. We caught up with Carl Eatwell, spray operations manager at Hall Hunter, to get the ins and outs of why the soft fruit sector in the UK relies on these bespoke sprayers.

Having worked at Hall Hunter for 27 years, Carl Eatwell has seen the family farming business evolve from a vegetable and root crop grower, with a small strawberry PYO, into a commercial multi-site operation, which exclusively grows soft fruit for the UK’s major supermarkets.

Today Hall Hunter’s soft fruit plantations extend to 700-acres, spilt across Berkshire and Surrey with Heathlands Farm, the original farm, located in Wokingham; Sheeplands Farm in Warbury, near Henley, and Tuesley Farm, just outside Godalming.

“While we focus on strawberries and blueberries, we do also grow raspberries and blackberries,” said Carl, who is based at Heathlands Farm. “Over the years, our growing methods have changed drastically. Around 17 years ago we moved from having the plants in the ground to table-top systems. Then, in the last five years we have adapted again and today all our strawberries are on a six-line system which is much easier for harvesting and also gives us a much better class of fruit from the crop.”

While it is vital to embrace improved growing techniques, it does sometimes seem that what is considered ‘best practice’ in the UK fruit industry is forever changing at the drop of a hat. And for the fruit sector, drastic adaptations often result in new pieces of equipment being required.

“Big changes can happen in the fruit sector often within a short space of time, and I have known very different growing systems to be implemented within the space of a few years,” said Carl. “This means that we need our machinery and equipment, especially our sprayers, to be able to evolve and remain suitable, efficient and fit for purpose.”

On top of this, over the years, the varieties have changed too. Hall Hunter now grow Dute blueberries, Diamond Jubilee raspberries and June- and ever-bearing strawberries, such as Malling™ Centenary and Sweet Eve.

“With Malling™ Centenary, for instance, because it is a slightly earlier variety, we can crop twice, but this makes it even more important to ensure that we are looking after the plants, using the right products, spraying at the right times, with the best applications possible,” said Carl.

Like many growers striving to be more accurate with spray coverage, when Carl started looking for a suitable system which would effectively target the underside of the leaf, he approached specialist fruit machinery dealership, NP Seymour.

“When buying a sprayer off the shelf, you are very limited, so we have been working very closely with Nick and his team for nearly two decades to get the best application methods for our crops,” said Carl. “Our first sprayers from NP Seymour were from Berthoud, but Nick customised the equipment to fit our needs with new arms and a different nozzle system. Then, around 10 years ago, NP Seymour designed and made our first custom sprayer to fit our eight line system and finally as we moved to the latest six line system, they helped us to redevelop our sprayers again.”

The bespoke table-top strawberry sprayers from NP Seymour are all air assisted, providing growers with the ability to spray the crops with more accuracy, better coverage and efficacy.

“All of our sprayers come with a sophisticated computer system which will constantly show the calibration and we are able to calculate, even within a few metres, where our spray products will run out. With this, our costs have been reduced greatly because there is no need to over mix products and there is no wastage,” said Carl. “Our sprayers also have in built wash tanks, which saves us a lot of time and there are also induction hoppers fitted so we can mix the products more safely and you are less likely to get blockages in the system when using certain products.”

As well as having its sprayers refurbished, with new arms and a new nozzle design, which the team at NP Seymour created, Hall Hunter also had a new custom-built sprayer delivered recently and those who follow NP Seymour on social media will also have seen that some of the table-top sprayers have been shipped to customers as far away as Sweden.

“By working with ourselves and other growers, Nick has come up with a robust design which better covers the crop by bringing the spray in sideways through the canopy,” said Carl. “All the sprayers are ‘overly engineered’ and the build quality is exceptional. Everything is galvanised and we have never had a mechanical fault and have only ever had to do routine maintenance.

“I have been lucky enough to go down to the workshop at Avon Works several times now to follow the progress of the sprayers being built. Nick is an absolutely fantastic guy to work with and the whole team has always been very accommodating and if we wanted something tweaked, they have been very happy to make changes.

“We were also invited to visit before the sprayers were delivered, so we could make sure that everything was how we wanted it. And when they delivered, someone was onsite to run through the machine and made sure that it was set up exactly, making adjustments here and there to suit the individual farm’s needs. We really couldn’t ask for much more in the way of service, it is just fantastic.”

Hall Hunter also has an air assisted tower sprayer for the cane and bush fruit which was carefully modified by NP Seymour. The farm had very specific requirements and the sprayer needed to be as narrow as possible, so Nick visited the site to measure the tunnel system before building something made to measure. Years later, as the crop developed and plants became much larger, the sprayer was sent back to NP Seymour’s Avon Works to be refurbished again.

“It is always great to see Nick in person, not just because it’s nice to be able to speak to the company owner, but because you get to see the gentleman who is still very much hands on in regards to the engineering,” said Carl. “You simply can’t beat the level of service NP Seymour provides. It is easy to talk to some over the phone, but to see them in person, to do rough sketches with them and see them turn those drawings into a machine is very good. I have enjoyed being able to see the sprayers being developed; watching them go from parts and bare metal to being welded together, the tank being put on, and finally the end installation. The team are very happy for you to go and see where they are up to and the fact that they are so hands on with growers means that we as a customer get exactly what we need.”

If you want more information, please do give the sales team a call on 01580 712200.

How to apply fertiliser efficiently in vineyards and orchards.

For those looking to improve plant health, yields and thus profitability, while keeping potential input costs to a minimum, the ability to apply fertiliser only where it is really needed is pretty useful.  

If you’ve invested in detailed soil analysis and your agronomist has been in to map your site, it’s now time to look at the equipment which can make the most of this information. 

The first thing you will need is a robust and efficient variable rate spreader which can apply different rates of fertiliser on the move and without requiring any physical adjustment of the machine.

We’ve been supplying fruit and vine growers with KRM L15 spreaders for many years now, as it is the only specialist, narrow spreader which provides a true variable spreading rate, by using the tractor’s wheel speed sensor. This also means that it can be used with tractors of any age and growers don’t have to worry about the tractor’s GPS or Isobus capabilities. 

Not having your spreader’s output linked to the revs or PTO speed, makes for much more even distribution, even on the steepest sloping sites. And as everything on the KRM is electronic there is less hydraulic or manual adjustments for the operator to make. Pretty much all arable spreaders come with this variable rate technology nowadays, so why should the fruit market be left behind? 

For growers who have had their sites mapped, one of the great things about the KRM is the ability to connect up the KRM Icon control and Patchwork BlackBox Advance, which includes built-in Global Navigation Satellite System, GPS, terrain compensation, an onboard modem, headland control and headland warning.

With advanced recording capabilities the BlackBox Advance tablet can save all your maps, jobs, A-B lines and allows operators to store multiple paused jobs too. It is essential for any grower who wants to ensure that they are only applying what is needed, exactly where it is needed.

One of the latest features which the KRM is now known for is how easy it is to clean. Spreaders can rust in a matter of days if they’re not looked after properly, and having listened to customer feedback about how challenging it can be to clean some spreader, KRM made a number of upgrades to its machines making them easier to access and more practical to clean and maintain. 

If you want to chat through the full specifications or want to know more about the KRM spreaders, please do give me a call on 01580 712200.

Tom Wheatley, sales at NP Seymour

Just delivered: Fruit-tec ‘Edward’ mechanical pruning saw

In January 2021 we delivered a Fruit-tec ‘Edward’ mechanical pruning saw to the team at Boxford (Suffolk) Farms.

Keen newsletter readers may recall that Boxford Farms took delivery of the UK’s first Fruit-tec REDpulse Duo defoliator last year, which you can read more about here >>>

The Fruit-tec mechanical pruning saw, which has been specifically designed for use in orchards, fits onto the same frame as the REDpulse Duo, as well as Fruit-tec’s popular Darwin mechanical blossom thinner.

In addition to its unobstructed forward view, the mechanical pruner also benefits from an automatic pivoting feature which prevents the horizontal cutting bar from hitting posts, or hail protection nets. The double blade system and carefully designed blades also ensure the high cutting quality needed to prevent diseases and parasites, such as aphids.

Fruit Tec’s Edward, Darwin and RedPulseDuo provide the ideal equipment combination for orchards looking to reduction of labour costs, while increasing yield, fruit quality, uniform ripening and improved colouration.