We are lucky enough to have four outstanding Main Sponsors for the National Fruit Show.
Avalon Produce Limited – Stand K32
Avalon Produce Limited is one of the largest UK top fruit companies, supplying than 310 million apples and pears a year.
Now in its third year, Avalon Produce Limited, established in 2015, is a “direct” marketing group focusing on creating value for suppliers and customers on a sustainable basis, by offering the essential expertise to drive growth.
Agrovista UK Ltd – Stand K21
Agrovista’s fully qualified BASIS and FACTS fruit team has a wealth of experience in all aspects of fruit production, ensuring that you maximise your yields of top quality fruit whilst satisfying the ever more complex demands of inputs legislation, protocols and consumer expectation.
The company’s advice on pest and disease control is based on thorough monitoring of your crops and on the use of up to date computer modelling techniques to ensure the most efficient, timely and effective use of plant protection products. This will target your programme and also allow you to conform to all assured produce schemes, as well as complying with the latest demands from consumers to minimise residues.
Agrovista also delivers the unique Growers Choice Interactive online disease and pest forecasting service allowing growers to reduce residues and input costs, time applications to perfection and maximise product efficacy and efficiency.
N.P. Seymour Ltd – Stand K30
N.P. Seymour is at the forefront of bringing new cost-cutting machinery to the UK market, including the first driverless tractor! Developed by Precision Makers in Holland, the X-Pert package is an ‘add-on’ for Fendt Vario tractors, which converts the tractor into a totally autonomous vehicle.
Why only on a Fendt Vario tractor? The Fendt Vario has a transmission that is operated over its complete speed range and into reverse with no mechanical action required. Also, Fendt as standard, control the PTO speed and engagement electronically, the hydraulics electronically and the engine electronically, making the tractor more straightforward to adapt for autonomous operation than any other.
The X-Pert package is a Teach and Playback system, operated from a box within the cab. Carry out the task required and it records and saves every action. Any number of routes and tasks can be stored for the tractor to carry out, enabling repetitive jobs such as mowing and spraying to be carried out with just the press of a button. Precision is ensured by a receiver on the tractor, which uses both GPS and then RTK for accuracy down to 20mm – crucial in an orchard row.
The tractor cannot be driven autonomously on public roads, only on private land within the farm. The important thing is the tractor can be used as normal at any time to maximise usage.
BASF PLC – Stand K31
BASF continues to expand, develop and invest in new fruit products. Last year it launched a novel preventative fungicide for scab and mildew, Sercadis containing of the highly active SDHI, fluxapyroxad.
Top fruit growers also had a new formulation of dithianon. Delan Pro (dithianon and potassium phosphonates (phosphite), KHP, a new fungicidal active). Dithianon provides preventative multi-site activity while KHP stimulates production of defensive compounds giving plants systemic acquired resistance.
BASF has also a novel solutions for codling and tortrix moth control in apples and pears; a massive problem as these moths cause economic damage at low populations. This new technology, RAK 3 and RAK 4, uses female pheromones to disrupt mating. Pheromones flood the orchard, male moths suffer sensory overload and can’t find a mate. The effects last five months, offering season-long disruption.
