This year, we will be showcasing two key pieces of machinery on our stand at the National Fruit Show (being held on 20 and 21 October at Kent County Showground) which promise to make a “step change in productivity and competitiveness”.
Having supplied the UK’s first REDpulse Duo orchard defoliator to Boxford (Suffolk) Farms in August 2020, we have since delivered another machine to Adrian Scripps in Kent and have also invested in our own demo unit which has been trialled with impressive results so far this season.
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 covering apples.
“Having reviewed the trial data from Boxford (Suffolk) Farms and seen the defoliator in action, we believe the REDpulse to be one of the best ways UK growers can aerate fruit, allowing for more sunlight to penetrate through the canopy to the fruit, which in turn increases colouration and makes picking easier,” said Claire Seymour, director at NP Seymour.
Those visiting our stand at the show will also be able to see the new PODS precision sprayer system, which has come from a three year Innovate UK research project aiming to improve economic performance of orchards.
“While current practice is to spray whole orchards at the same dose regardless of tree structure or crop load, the variable rate sprayer we have helped to developed in partnership with Hutchinsons, the Acclaimed Software Company, Outfield Technologies, Plumford Farms, Worldwide Fruit and NIAB, will apply an exact dose tree-by-tree,” said Claire. “It is this targeted approach which will allow growers to significantly reduce chemical costs while also increasing production and quality.”
For more information, visit the NP Seymour stand K32 at the National Fruit Show on 20 and 21 October 2021.