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OPENS IN SEPARATE WINDOW

The NEW Tracker
Strawberry Sprayer success
Berthoud continues to excel
UK operation
Alto Mounted Sprayer
New Ulys boom
Kondor boom
Automated valve control

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News & Events 2010

News story - New Strawberry Sprayer success

Innovative sprayer design
This model has been specially developed using the ‘Sprintair’ trailed chassis coupled with Berthoud’s proven strawberry boom and featuring numerous design modifications to suit tunnel and table top usage. The boom mast and centre section has been modified to suit the row widths and plant heights. The boom’s rear folding format gives better manoeuvrability when turning at the row ends. Six rows of plants are sprayed with each pass using Berthoud’s Air-drive Pneumatic diffusers with 2 heads per row and wide angle diffusers on the outer rows. With a jet spraying directly into the high speed airflow, the chemical is forced into the foliage, turning the leaves to ensure a uniform application above and below the plant. Spray heads are fully adjustable up to 45 degrees. The 1000 litre tank ensures longer periods of uninterrupted spraying with fewer refills. The pump is a BP 60/20 giving ample flow rates. Features include in-cab electric boom on/off controls and electric regulator, a 55 litre tank rinse system and a dedicated hand wash tank.

The selection of this machine with dedicated boom design has been critical in the effective treatment of the plants. 3 varieties are currently grown: Elsinori, Ever bearers, Evie (EBs) and El Santa, an early cropping variety with a dense, big canopy. This variety was the real challenge. “If we could get this right the EBs would automatically be right” explained AMS’s Peter Gwynne.

Berthoud dealer Bavenhill Mechanics of Ledbury worked closely with the user to make the final adjustments to the spray heads and boom to suit the restricted height of his tunnels while ensuring the required 300mm clearance above the plants for an effective spray application. This has included the fitting of wide angle nozzles to the outside row edges where the planters/ gutters in each tunnel have been dropped 100mm to ensure even coverage. ‘Break-backs’ were also introduced into the boom design to avoid potential damage to the tunnels. “We have had Berthoud sprayers before so we knew they were good” says Peter.
The crops are sprayed once a week and sulphur dusted 3 or 4 days later.

Because the tunnels are permanent, AMS have established grass floor cover which is kept mowed. “While it is expensive, the pickers prefer it, it’s more attractive and it keeps the ground clear and dust to a minimum” explains Peter. The crop is collected daily by a local pack-house for supply to leading supermarkets.

Tunnel Vision for success
Fresh Field Fruit LLP strawberry growers of Nunnington near Hereford, represent a new chapter in British soft fruit production: the country’s first self contained site with eco friendly water manage-ment. Currently covering 8.5Ha, the scheme will extend to 12 Ha and 95 poly tunnels in 2011. Designed and delivered as a turnkey project by local company Agri Management Solutions (AMS) Ltd, using local contractors, it offers an insight into a new phase in strawberry production.

The plants are watered 10 times a day in 3 minute bursts. Land drains collect rainfall from the covered poly tunnels, filling 2 onsite reservoirs. The water is initially pumped to a treatment tank where PH values are checked and corrected. EC levels of salts and nutrients are computer tested against solar measurements to optimise additives. The water is fed via pressure compensated drippers into ‘table top’ semi-hydroponic planters with coir fibre. Perforated bags retain the strawberry plants and nutrients. Drained off water is collected via gutters and piped around the site’s green screening trees and hedges. These were insisted upon by the local planning committee and over 200 trees were planted.

Each tunnel is a maximum of 125m long, an optimum distance for pickers to start in the middle and work to each end. The site currently employs around 50 workers who are housed on site. A 2m wide central gangway provides access for a 1000 litre Berthoud ‘Sprintair’ strawberry sprayer.