Adjustable Netting Post

Team:

FABulous engineers who make lanternflies DI

Clients:

Cornell CALS Extension / E&J Gallo Winery / National Grape

Problem Statement:

Research has shown that over-the-row insect netting can reduce SLF population by up to 99.8%. This netting has a 6x1.8mm mesh and must be secured on the bottom and sides of the row. This solution is not perfect, however. The netting must be removed before harvest and reapplied after. Not only is this process labor-intensive, it leaves the grape plants unprotected before/during harvest. It must also be noted that pesticides cannot be used for a certain interval before harvest. There are other styles of netting –such as side netting– which allow hand-harvesting without complete removal of the netting. However, side netting is not as effective at protecting against SLF in comparison to over-the-row netting.

Impact:

Despite its potential effectiveness at protecting grape vines, very fine mesh has seen limited use. Large-scale vineyards are unable to efficiently use small scale, drape-over-the-vine nets because of the significant time and labor required in installation and removal. If this process is made more efficient, more vineyards could use this fine mesh to prevent lanternflies from accessing the vines.

Proposed direction:

Concept A (primary): Adjustable Netting Post

What it is:

The Adjustable Netting Post is a method of efficiently raising and lowering over-the-row insect netting during harvest. It is a telescoping post which can extend roughly 4 feet, allowing for over-the-row netting to be raised before harvest.

How it would be used:

Each modified trellis post is extendable. Over-the-row netting is then installed over the trellis. When the vines are ready for harvest, workers can extend the poles nearest to them, raising the netting. They can then harvest grapes, and lower the Adjustable Netting Posts behind them

Why it’s better than the status quo:

Eliminates need to fully uninstall and reinstall SLF nets before and after harvest, Eliminates period of vulnerability to SLF damage while nets are down, Can eventually be adapted to work for machine harvesting as well

End-of-semester proof-of-concept:

Full sized telescoping post + net and demonstrated functionality

Key risks / unknowns

Tangle Risk:

Nets can tangle in the vines or on the post itself, damaging vines and increasing difficulty of operation (Test: trials removing the nets from various bushes)

Ground-Net Gap:

Attaching the net to the bottom of the post may create a gap between the net and the ground, lowering the system’s effectiveness (Test: Minimize gap + do research)

Post Accessibility:

Inability to easily access the posts for raising/lowering would defeat the system’s purpose of saving labor (Test: Measure time required to raise/lower post)

Questions for the client

1. How often do you use hand harvesting (as opposed to using harvesters)?
   Decision affected: focus on hand harvesting in our design
2. At what height on the vines do your variety of grapes grow? Decision affected: height post needs to extend to
3. If you utilize netting, what is your typical process for installation/removal? Decision affected: overall design direction

References

Leach, Heather & Mariani, Tom & Centinari, Michela & Urban, Julie. (2023). Evaluating integrated pest management tactics for spotted lanternfly management in vineyards. Pest Management Science. 79. 10.1002/ps.7528.