Today we would like to take you to Calabria to tell you the secrets of a very special system built in 2024 for our customer GRUPPO MAZZONI, a leading company in the industry which, through its many farms and nurseries, has been collaborating with Valente for over 20 years.
We are located in Cassano allo Jonio (CZ), an area that we know very well because we have carried out several installations there in the past years for regular customers who still rely on us for their system engineering needs.
As we were saying, this is a well-known area that has special characteristics and criticalities to deal with, but which, at the same time, is very suitable for the cultivation of various crops.
Among the challenges we certainly find the strong sunlight and, especially, the wind, which blows in from the sea that is about 30 km away from our system, while among the crops that, with certain adjustments, adapt particularly well to the area’s microclimate we find citrus fruits and, as in this case, peaches.
Our objective was therefore to create a V-shaped peach orchard developed over a total area of 30 ha equipped with a multifunctional cover to protect the plants from adverse weather conditions (hail, wind, sun).
The property has been divided into six plots with the following characteristics:
- planting scheme: mt 5.00 x 8.00
- surface area involved in the intervention: mq 302,869
- net cultivated area: mq 285,349
- total rows: n. 345
- total length of rows: mt 56,601
- Distance between header posts and anchorages: mt 2.50
- Distance between side posts and anchorages: mt 2.00
- Width of header roads: mt 7.00
- Width of side roads: mt 5.00
These dimensions are those that, according to our calculations, would guarantee the best management of the future orchard, guaranteeing compliance with the structure’s safety parameters, which have been set out in the ‘structural calculation’ report with which Valente systems are always equipped, and which also provide very useful values to refer to during installation and subsequent maintenance, necessary to keep the entire structure in perfect working order.
With regard to the type of cover, the primary objective was to guarantee perfect protection against hail, but, as previously mentioned, at the same time it had to be able to mitigate, and where possible eliminate, the problems related to excessive sunlight and wind damage, managing to obtain an underlying microclimate favourable to the vegetative development of the plants.
For this reason, we opted for a cover made of woven leno mesh and 8×2.8 mm mesh composed of white warp monofilaments (interwoven threads) and 0.32 mm black warp monofilament, which perfectly meets all the requirements described above.
The structure of the mesh allows it to be installed around the entire perimeter of the plant, thus guaranteeing effective wind protection.
The same will also provide about 12% shading to protect the fruit from sunburn and an excellent durability of the material over time, thus avoiding troublesome and excessive maintenance interventions aimed at replacing the mesh ruined by UV rays.
The system was also intended to provide the necessary support structure for the plants to allow the development of the V-shape to the size required by the customer.
This point was crucial and, following careful evaluation and consideration, we decided to realise it through the use of metal posts equipped with hooks at a distance of 10 cm each for the positioning of the 3 plant support wires. The metal posts would be fixed at the base of the net support post and at the top, intercepting the low transverse wire of the covering.
And so the overall solution, which involved building the support structure for the multi-purpose cover and at the same time the support for the plants in order to realise the chosen V-shaped cultivation form, had taken shape.
Returning to the cover, we had to consider certain aspects in order to define the best possible solution, taking into account that:
- the installations are about 30 km from the sea and in a windy area
- the shape of the plants is extended and vertical
- it was necessary to allow easy opening and closing of the nets during set periods (spring and autumn)
- it was necessary to allow easy maintenance of the systems
For all these reasons, we decided that the best solution for the customer’s needs was a structure with the following characteristics:
- max. height of the structure mt 4.50
- max. distance between posts mt 8.00
- min. distance between anchors mt 2.50
- arrangement of the nets using a shed
- net arrangement using the ‘KONNET’ system fixed on the top wire
Now, let us see why.
The height of the structure was determined by the height of the V-shape, which was set at 3.20 metres. Considering the fixing spaces and the right slope of the net, the post had to be placed 4.50 metres above ground.
The particularly windy area suggested a maximum distance between posts of 8.00 m and to maintain a distance between perimeter posts and anchors of 2.50 m. These measures are also the result of more than ten years’ experience of installations made in the vicinity (Gallo Natalino farm) that have always shown excellent results in terms of resistance against atmospheric adversities, especially wind.
The ‘KONNET’ solution involves the use of two pieces of net per row, fixed on the top wire with suitable fasteners so as to have a fastening cord on the top wire that is very resistant to wind-generated friction wear.
Since the V-shaped farming shape is very extensive, it leaves no space for easy access to the top of the plants to carry out the periodic opening and closing of the nets. The “shed” structure is therefore the only solution that, by providing support trusses for the nets on each post, allows the nets to be opened and closed even while standing on the ground.
After one year, the system and the underlying crops are in excellent condition, a sign that the choices made during the design, construction and installation of the structure were correct and effective.
We would like to thank the Mazzoni Group for the trust they continue to place in us after so many years and for the appreciation they showed us at the end of the project.