Case Study: Birds Piercing The Fruit

I have taken it upon myself to help improve the amount of fruit that the vineyard produces. One area I noticed that could use improvement was the type of bird netting that was being applied. I personally picked the fruit and saw how much fruit was pierced by birds. I collected data by interviewing managers of the winery, and researching online about which practices produced the best outcome.

This report analyzes our current bird netting and the procedures that go into it. I also recommend three alternatives that can possibly be used by the company. I will finish up with a recommendation that I believe will help harvest more fruit while saving time and money.

The Problem: Birds Piercing the Fruit

Bird damage affects an entire vineyard business
The birds can cause more problems than just ruining the fruit that they peck. Pecking the fruit can cause the fruit to develop Botrytis.3 Botrytis is a fungus that thrives in humid environments4 and spreads over the grape clusters. Birds can create pathways for many diseases and problems for the grapes. Bird damage can be reduced or even stopped using netting. The hard part is deciding which type of netting to use.

Alternative 1: Net Individual Rows/Side Netting

Side netting is the method that is already in place at the winery. Each row is individually wrapped with two nets. One net is in the center and one on each of the sides of the vine. The field hands can then attach the two nets using clips. Whenever the workers are clipping the two nets together they must clip around the vines and the poles that hold the guide wires. This creates a tight enough space where the birds cannot get inside the netting. However, they can peck the fruit from outside the nets. The best nets to use against birds while covering individual rows are about $2,500 per acre.5 When harvest is about to start, the workers must unclip half the
We can however, stop external forces from destroying the grapes or even whole vines. We need to have a system that is easy, reliable, provides coverage, and doesn’t require year-round maintenance. We can use side netting the same way as summer 2016. We already have the nets, and workers know how to put them up. The full field coverage would need to be spread across the field once. It would need to be serviced for damaged netting periodically. This can be done while maintenance workers are mowing the rows. We need to know if the sprayer will fit underneath the nets. The last option is the drape over netting that is more like a dress. You still must put them on in the summer and take them off in the fall. This takes time. Whenever you pick grapes, you run the chance of breaking off individual grapes that can be a loss of product. These recommendations protect against birds very well and each have their