Press Release

NEW Net-Master-Falcon offers help for Small Grape Growers

Alex Carter of Tatura Engineering, well known for his innovative solutions to agricultural problems has designed a new budget model, netting machine to make this difficult job of netting crops easier for the smaller grower. This development is the result of receiving numerous calls last season form concerned growers with less than 10 acres of vines wanting to protect their valuable fruit from the birds. This new model called the Net-Master-Falcon and will be available for the 2002 season.

Bird damage usually occurs in the six-week period prior to harvest and can cause real financial losses in vineyards and horticultural crops. Netting of crops offers a positive solution against bird damage allows more saleable grapes to be produced.

The difficult labour intensive task of deploying, recovering and storage has been solved with the Tatura Net-Master bird netting system. It is fast, effective, easy to use and gentle on nets.

The Tatura Net-Master system was introduced to Australian in1997. There are now 130 Satisfied users of Net-Master bird netting machine and already more orders for the 2002 season.

The new budget Net-Master-Falcon uses the same proven Tatura concept of net gathering as used on the deluxe Net-Master-Eagle which allows access to the net for cane removal when the net is being rolled up. Traditional methods of net bunching lock cane into the nets, damage can occur when the net is pulled out the following season. The Net-Master system will help protect your investment in bird net.

Both models of the Net-Master system easily and rapidly deploy protective netting in the crucial period. The machines are tractor linkage mounted and the net is deployed with a tractor driver and two other persons at a brisk walking pace. At harvest it is possible for the driver alone to recover nets but extra workers speed the process. The sensitive hydraulically driven spool holds up to 6000 square metres of netting on a single roll.

The new smaller Falcon with simplified features will not operate at the same efficiency level as the larger Eagle with its wide spread and extra hydraulic functions, but will offer an affordable option to eliminate the manual labour of pulling nets in.

After recovery, the roll of recovered netting is tied and removed from the machine ready for storage. The netting can normally be used for six to ten seasons. Both Net-Master models are suitable for all bird vulnerable crops. With staggered cropping it is possible, for example, to protect cherry trees in the late spring and use the same netting to protect vineyards in the late summer or early autumn.

Growers wanting more information can contact Alex Carter at Tatura Engineering on 58 241998 or Mobile on 0408 241 998. Check our Web Site www.tateng.com.au for the location of your nearest distributor.