Fruit Company Van Westreenen in Echteld grows Kanzi apples and Conference pears on 75 hectares for the demanding upper segment of the export market. In view of the high quality standards and the size of the total cultivated area, the company needs to be able to react quickly in the right weather conditions. The combination of the Flat anti-hail netting system and two Munckhof three-row sprayers has proved itself successful with Van Westreenen benefitting from the speed and accuracy of the three-row sprayers and the generous space to work and good light levels under the Flat anti-hail netting system.
Being able to react and spray quickly in good weather is crucial
Berend-Jan van Westreenen: “The ability to spray quickly in ideal weather conditions is crucial to achieving optimal results with crop protection products. The Flat anti-hail netting system offers more than enough space to work under the nets. The size of the aisles between the posts, the extensive headroom and the distance from post to post allow me to use my three-row sprayers extremely effectively. We don’t have to raise the anti-hail nets first when we want to spray. That would be both expensive and time-consuming at 6 man-hours per hectare. Hail storms are a regular occurrence here and I would have suffered moderate to serious damage each time without the anti-hail nets.”
High capacity and proper leaf coverage with Munckhof three-row sprayers
Van Westreenen has worked with two three-row sprayers from Munckhof since 2010. Berend-Jan: “This is my second batch of three-row sprayers from Munckhof. The spraying capacity is high. We can spray a hectare of fruit trees in just 20 minutes. That job used to take us 45 minutes per hectare. Berend-Jan van Westreenen: “The combination of the Munckhof three-row sprayers and the Flat anti-hail netting system from FruitSecurity works extremely well. For the past 12½ years, and counting.”