“Net-House”: ARRIGONI brings innovation to EIMA 2018
ARRIGONI S.p.A., a leading designer and manufacturer of protective screens for agriculture, will be at EIMA 2018 (hall 34, stand B3) with a number of big innovations.
First and foremost, it will be showcasing the use of ARRIGONI screens to create net-houses, innovative growing structures that provide just the right halfway solution between open field and greenhouse growing. «Because of the New Delhi virus, open field crops without insect protection are not possible», explains ARRIGONI agronomist Giuseppe Netti, «with the need to guard against aphids, whitefly and thrip in particular. There are two possible solutions: one option is growing in plastic film greenhouses with AIR PLUS range insect screens, with the sides closed in autumn, winter and spring. However, the drawback is that in areas with a Mediterranean climate, on sunny days in spring and autumn the temperature peaks inside greenhouses are too high.»
«The second solution», Mr Netti continues, «is growing in lightweight structures entirely covered with insect screens (which we call ‘net-houses’), and not only during the summer. Thanks to the favourable climate created underneath the structure, in this case crops can be grown in a protected environment without too much change in temperatures. What’s more, in autumn the microclimate is still more favourable than in the open field.»
Apart from the advantage of being able to grow crops with total protection against whitefly, aphids, bollworm and other insect pests, net-houses constructed using ARRIGONI insect screens offer additional benefits: more vigorous plants with better resistance to some diseases; conditions unfavourable to the spread of fungal diseases (drier environment with lower relative humidity); possibility of starting organic and low environmental impact growing operations; higher yield thanks to more suitable microclimate than in greenhouses; water saving as plants are not exposed to excessive evapotranspiration; and much lower installation cost than a steel structure with plastic films.
The novelties do not end here, since the new website is also on-line, with two main sections, «Agrotextiles» and «Techtextiles», providing users with full information about these two application families. The graphics have also been completely updated to be more functional and provide a user-friendly browsing experience available from anywhere, including from mobile devices. Specifically, the «Agrotextiles» section includes contents of interests to farmers, easily accessible to all industry users. Two new information-packed sections, «applications» and «crops», introduce visitors to ARRIGONI’s innovative textile screens and describe practical solutions for the professional management of each crop. There are also absolutely new multimedia contents and the chance to sign up to receive additional high-profile updates directly from the ARRIGONI agronomists.
What’s more, through its sister company SACHIM, the ARRIGONI Group has received an award from the Puglia Region President Michele Emiliano, «for its excellent results in Research and Innovation». «It is very satisfying to see our commitment to offering high added value solutions in the agrotextile field recognised in this way», comments Paolo Arrigoni, CEO of the Group of the same name, «but at the same time the award also encourages us to keep offering agriculture professionals a partner they can trust.»
The ARRIGONI Group has been in technical textiles since 1936. It began manufacturing polyethylene net fabrics in 1959. It has more than 50 years’ experience in the protective screen sector. The group’s headquarters is at Uggiate Trevano (Como), just outside Milan and close to Linate and Malpensa airports. The group’s three production units occupy a total area of 110,000 m2, with buildings of 39,000 m2. It has a workforce of 160 and production capacity of more than 6000 tons of net fabrics per year. Arrigoni develops, produces and distributes innovative agrotextiles for more effective climate control and the production of healthier, safer food, and other outdoor textiles for technical and/or environmental uses. It is now European leader in technical textile applications for agriculture.
