SUMMER 2020/2021
INVESTMENTS IN NETTING
The latest publication of Australian Citrus News discussed Netting being a game changer for Citrus farmers in the Riverland.
Investments in netting orchards in the Riverland and in particular the property of Mathew and Sam Lloyd will have an almost instant effect on return on investment.
They advised Australian Citrus News that the three-year-old trees under the net was equivalent to a five-year-old tree, outside Nets under normal conditions, as the trees grow more quickly and to date the quality and yields are looking promising.
Mathew also discussed the lower watering requirements of trees under Nets being a 20% reduction in usage which is a huge cost benefit. The Farm has reduced fruit dumping because of the benefits of netting and are now able to achieve 1st and 2nd grade packouts.
Hail damage was also a consideration for the case for Netting as before Netting they lost close to a million dollars due to a hail storm.
Story appears in Australian Citrus News ,Summer 2020/21 CLICK HERE
Success Stories
Golden Valley Orchards
In 2003, Golden Valley Orchards were offered the opportunity to work with the NCEA (National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture) and NetPro Pty Ltd on a research project evaluating the effectiveness of (among others) NetPro’s dam-covers.
Renato says of his first impressions of the idea: “Evaporation is a pretty big problem – I thought it was definitely a good idea. The only problem was the expense: the cover cost two hundred thousand but we received a subsidy of eighty thousand.”
The dam in question is the main dam for Golden Valley Orchards, holding some twenty-five million gallons (133ML), has a surface area of eight acres (3.3ha). The Golden Valley Orchards extend over 200 acres (83ha), irrigated from this dam and a couple of other smaller dams.
The dam cover was completed by November 2003. Five years down the track, Renato says “We are very happy with it (the cover). It reduces evaporation losses by over 90%, so you could say there was hardly any evaporation.” This is tribute indeed, for according to the Bureau of Meteorology maps, the Stanthorpe region’s average annual evaporation is higher than its average annual rainfall (evaporation 1600mm/year; rainfall 1000mm/year).
The net outcome for Golden Valley Orchards is “we have saved so much water that it’s made a difference between having enough water and not”, says Renato. He continues: “What do we lose here? Over meter a year? Look at that over four years: four meters over the surface area of the dam … that’s a lot of water!”
The original trial results have been reported by NCEA in 2005. An abridged copy of the report is available in our Support section.