Sapling protection nets and tubes can be defined as a shield that protects saplings against negative external factors. The way to make effective use of these products, which are used for the healthy growth and development of saplings, is to make preferences for the needs.
The first period when human beings meet the world is also the time when they need protection the most. Just like humans, many species in nature are sensitive to external factors and in need of protection in these early stages of their lives. The same is true for saplings before they become adult trees. Therefore, they need to be protected against many external threats, especially in this weakest period of their lives. At this point, sapling protection nets and tubes that wrap them like a cocoon come into play. These products, which have become more prominent in agricultural areas in recent years, protect saplings against problems such as adverse climatic conditions and harmful organisms. At the same time, it brings advantages at many points such as plant development, product yield and reduction of production costs.
Benefits of Sapling Protection Netting and Tubes
The protection tubes create a micro greenhouse effect by providing the humidity and temperature conditions that the saplings need.
It acts as protection against mechanical damages caused by hoe, tractor impacts, stone splashes and animals such as mice, rabbits and foxes.
It prevents herbicides used in weed control from coming into contact with saplings.
It provides protection of saplings against unfavourable climatic conditions.
Tubular products enable the saplings to grow healthy and fast, allowing them to yield 1 to 1.5 years earlier.
It prevents harmful insects from contacting the sapling body.
Protects Saplings Against External Factors
Sapling protection nets and tubes have a 50-year history in agricultural areas around the world, especially in the Americas and Europe. The story of these products, which are used for the healthy growth and development of planted saplings, has gained momentum in Turkey, especially in the last 10 years. In 2005, Mert İzgi, General Manager of pack&net, which started manufacturing net products and realised Turkey’s first export in this field, lists the primary purposes of using these products as creating healthy growth opportunities with maximum efficiency within the desired period by protecting against mechanical, animal, chemical and climatic external factors. These products can be used in all fruit saplings, vineyards, forest expansion and afforestation works and landscaping applications. İzgi explains the first examples of the use of the aforementioned nets in the world with the following words: “In the world, net products with different pore sizes and thicknesses started to be used in order to prevent the damages caused by rodents such as mice and rabbits and horned animals such as goats, deer and roe deer on tree trunks and the fungal formation that comes with it.”
Prevents Access of Harmful Insects to Saplings
One of the main purposes of the protection nets is to prevent the access of harmful insects to the trees and to prevent the damages that may be caused by them. “It prevents the Mediterranean pine bark beetle (Orthotomicus erosus), which is one of the most important pests of coniferous and coniferous trees such as pine, fir, spruce and larch, from reaching the trunk and bark of trees by being carried by wind breezes. Products with a pore size of approximately 2 mm cut the direct contact of unwanted winged insects such as wasps with saplings.” Izgi says that these products also act as screening by reducing the speed and intensity of wind, rain and snowfall. Net products aim to protect saplings not only against animals and pests, but also against mechanical impacts. Saying that the lines of grass and weed cutting-mowing machines cause physical impacts on sapling trunks, İzgi states that nets of different thicknesses are used to prevent tree splits caused by these impacts. Net products are also used to reduce the side effects of climatic events that may damage the trunk and branches of young saplings due to their structure.
Micro Greenhouse Effect
Sapling protection tubes serve similar purposes to nets in agricultural and forestry areas. These tubular products have a closed structure in the form of a plate or pipe, either completely without holes or partially with ventilation holes, depending on preference. İzgi states that tubular products are used especially in gardens where herbicides are used, in cases where it is desired to accelerate the development of crops and in areas with rodent problems. “It is requested that pesticides do not come into contact with the root and stem of the plant while the sapling is fresh. Although there are pesticide spraying mechanisms that can provide this in Turkey with today’s technology, there is a need for the use of tubular products in order to minimise the negative side effects of pesticides on tree development.” Izgi says that the tube product around the trunk acts as a kind of protection shield during the application of the pesticide. In addition to young saplings, protection tubes of different sizes can also be used for older trees with large trunks that need protection against spraying. In addition to protecting the trees from various external factors, the tubes also offer a number of advantages to the producer in terms of product development, especially in terms of earliness. “Due to their closed structure, tubular products create a kind of micro-greenhouse effect by creating the necessary humidity and temperature conditions for the sapling within the containment area,” says İzgi, underlining that the yield can be obtained 1 to 1.5 years earlier compared to a sapling grown without the use of a protection tube. He adds that these tubes also contribute to reducing maintenance costs such as pruning and irrigation.
Due to their closed structure, tubular products create a kind of micro-greenhouse effect by creating the necessary humidity and temperature conditions for the sapling within the containment area. Therefore, yield can be obtained 1 to 1.5 years earlier compared to a sapling grown without the use of a protection tube.
How to Choose Between Sapling Protection Products?
In order to use sapling protection products in the most effective way and to obtain all the intended benefits, it is necessary to choose the most suitable product for the needs and production area. Factors such as the age of the saplings, harmful organisms encountered in the garden, geographical location and intended use play a decisive role in this selection. “At the stage when the saplings are planted, it is necessary to listen to the problems that the producer has previously encountered in the garden together with the agricultural engineer and garden technicians who will carry out the application, and to determine the most suitable product and how and for how long it can be used, taking into account what is desired to be achieved,” says İzgi.
Considering the geographical location, in order to prevent excessive moisture and sweating in the saplings, attention is paid to the use of colours that reflect the sun in tubular products. For this reason, there are differences in the colour and thickness of the products used in Northern Europe and Central Asian countries and those used in Turkey and the southern regions of Europe with warmer climates. At this point, considering the climatic and geographical conditions of the land, İzgi recommends removing the tubular products especially in the summer months when the temperatures increase in order to prevent the effect of sweating on the sapling or hanging the product on the upper sections in a way that does not cause sweating and allows air passage.
When to Use Sapling Protection Tube?
On the other hand, there is no periodic time restriction for the use of the products. It can be used in different periods according to the needs of the producer. “Some producers use it against rodent problems that increase seasonally in their gardens, some use it against rabbit infestations that move easily on the ground with the increasing snowfall in winter, gnawing the trunk, branches and fruits of the trees and causing damage” Izgi said that some producers have started to use herbicides during the periods when they switched to the use of herbicides. 3 to 4 times during the year sapling protection tubes are needed. Similarly, there are many producers in Turkey who need and use tube products between October and May, when frosts occur on tree trunks, in order to prevent frost and ensure healthy growth of saplings.
Introduced in Europe, Implemented in Turkey
Ahmet Yazıcıoğlu, an official of Avrupa Agriculture Farm, also uses sapling protection tubes in their own production areas in line with their needs. Yazıcıoğlu says, “I cultivate walnut saplings in gardens established on an area of 200 hectares in Uzunköprü district of Edirne. In 2016, I visited equivalent walnut gardens abroad together with technical agricultural engineers working within our company. As a result of our examinations in these places, I observed the advantages provided by the use of sapling protection tubes.” and tells the story of his first acquaintance with the product. Yazıcıoğlu’s favourite features of the products are that they prevent the pesticides used during herbicide application against weeds from contacting the saplings, protect the trunks of the saplings to be planted against external factors such as machine damage and splashes of stone chips, and prevent possible damage by rodents and animals such as rabbits and foxes. For this reason, he emphasises that he also likes to use sapling protection tubes in his own gardens.
Can be used repeatedly
Sapling protection tubes are produced in different colours and thicknesses in order to provide the necessary light transmittance during the manufacturing process. Stating that since both the net and the tubes are exposed to direct sunlight, the necessary amount of UV additives are used in the production of these products, which are resistant to ultraviolet rays and prolong their service life, İzgi said “The products have a minimum lifespan of 2 to 2.5 years. This period is considered appropriate for a sapling to grow to the desired height. Some products can last up to 5 to 6 years as a result of their wall thickness and UV rates.” he says. Rather than being disposable protection devices, these products can be used repeatedly to protect new saplings if they are stored in closed storage areas with suitable conditions.
Less Cost More Yield
In recent years, technology has become more integrated into agriculture and the use of new techniques and different alternatives in agricultural areas has started to increase. In addition to each new product and technique developed, the level of awareness of producers is also increasing with the change in consumer awareness and expectations regarding product safety. “Thanks to the sapling producers and agricultural engineers who follow the innovations and developments, who are aware of how precious time and labour are, saplings that are safely protected and grow healthily in a shorter time at less cost by using sapling protection nets and tubes will continue to be grown.” they met during the fairs and field visits they attended in Turkey and abroad, they observed that these products are needed more and more every year. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Mr. İzgi says that as a result of their meetings with the authorities, academicians, agricultural engineers and producers
Advantages Provided Will Increase Usage
In today’s agriculture where sustainability is at the forefront, sapling protection nets and tubes offer a different alternative to horticultural producers. The use of these products, which support both disease and pest problems, preventing the contact of pesticides with saplings by applying them only to target organisms, and combating adverse climatic conditions, is likely to increase in the coming years. In particular, the fact that they provide early maturity and allow the products to find buyers at higher prices is one of the reasons that pave the way for this increase to be realised faster. In order to make the best use of all the aforementioned advantages, the right product selection and the right application gain importance in line with the needs.
