Clients

We have organized this chapter in the following sections: vineyards, cherries, berries, citrus, other crops, organic farming and biofuels. Please visit those of your interest, and appreciate the diversity of FPC clients in regards to different crops protected and different world regions; as well as the specific SIS solutions applied to each particular industry.

VINEYARDS

The SIS System has been protecting, for more than ten years, over one hundred vineyards in the most important regions of the world, such as California (Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Lake, etc.), Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. From small to large vineyards, working with different types of vine conduction, type of infrastructure and other conditions, the SIS System adapts efficiently to the specific requirements of this sector.

Some examples:

Napa Valley and Sonoma, USA: more than 20 protected vineyards, among them Robert Sinskey, Joseph Phelps, Simpkins

Lake and Mendocino County, USA: more than 30 protected vineyards, among them Crimson Hill Vineyard

Paso Robles, USA: more than 10 protected vineyards, among them Tablas Creek and Randy Hammond

Colorado, USA: 2 protected vineyards, among them Stoney Mesa Winery

Marlborough, New Zealand: 5 protected vineyards, among them Nautilus Estate and Seresin Estate

Martinborough, New Zealand: 4 protected vineyards, among them Ata Rangi

Coonawarra, Australia: 4 protected vineyards, among them Yalumba Winery

Clare Valley, Australia: 2 protected vineyards

Murray River, Australia: 10 protected vineyards

Argentina: 1 protected vineyard at Alto Valle Rio Negro

Uruguay: 3 protected vineyards: Mederos, Varela Zarranz and Bouza

viedos 1 viedos 2

Nicholson Ranch, Sonoma - California, USA Tablas Creek - Paso Robles, USA

CITRUS

The first installations of the SIS System, at the beginning of the 90's, were made in large citrus plantations in Uruguay and in Argentina. This has turned FPC into a specialist in citrus frost control. These plantations of hundreds of hectares have demonstrated the ability of the system to adapt to a large scale, significantly reducing its unitary cost. Similarly, FPC has developed a series of tools of passive management of frost control, complementing SIS application, that have been successful in the industry and are considered very useful by expert agricultural engineers in the sector.

The above mentioned SIS System applications have protected approximately 400 hectares in Salto, Paysandú and San José (Uruguay) and 350 hectares in Concordia (Argentina).

citrus

San Juan Capistrano - California, USA

OLIVES

The SIS System has been increasingly drawing attention from the oliviculture sector worldwide, especially the new high-density orchards with highest rate of mechanisation. Those orchards are generally large scale operations (ie planted areas in the hundreds of hectares), where the SIS System has a strong competitive position, due to its scalability properties. What is more, the SIS system is easily automated, allowing to have a cost-effective, simple, and easy-to-operate frost protection for a modern olive grove.

Agropecuaria Huaycama SA, a well known Argentinian company which fabricate its own olive oil sourced from their olive grove, decided to protect their olives with SIS System. In this case, 28 SIS machines model M15 are protecting 350 has of olives.

olivos 1 olivos 2

Agropecuaria Huaycama - Catamarca, Argentina Dow Agrosciences Argentina - San Juan, Argentina

APPLES

Many apple orchards worldwide benefit from SIS. From Washington, USA, through Tasmania, Australia and South Africa, the SIS protects tenths of apple orchards, the largest being Bethelehem Farmers Trust, in South Africa, where 30 SIS model M3.5 protect 110 has of apples.

manzana 1 manzana 2

Bethlehem Farmer Trust - Sudáfrica Sunnyside - Washington, USA

CHERRIES

The SIS Systems protect tens of cherry orchards in Washington, Oregon, California and Australia.

Some examples:

Yakima Valley, Washington, USA: more than 5 protected orchards, among them Jabbora

Walla Walla, Washington, USA: 2 protected orchards, including Oasis Fruit

Chelan Co, Washington, USA: more than 5 protected orchards

Tasmania, Australia: 1 protected orchard

cerezas 1 cerezas 2

Whitby Co., Basin City - Washington, USA Oasis Fruit - Washington, USA

KIWIFRUIT

SIS System protects more than a hundred kiwifruit orchards in New Zealand. Since 2001, the strong and innovative NZ kiwifruit industry has adopted the SIS system as one of the preferred frost protection methods. The quiet and cost-effective frost protection system has become the preferred alternative in many NZ areas, from the Bay of Plenty to Waikato.

kiwi 1 kiwi 2

Finca Mc Naughton - Te Puke, Nueva Zelanda Bryan Heywood - Tauranga, Nueva Zelanda

BERRIES

Today SIS System protects blueberry plantations in Argentina and in New Zealand. Usually using small SIS devices, the berry industry in the world, of a considerable value per hectare, benefits from the efficient application of the system.
In this case FPC has developed a series of tools for passive management of frost control that have rendered the system more efficient by improving the cold air flow within the orchard.

Some examples:

Concordia, Argentina: BlueHoney (Blueberries O´Neal)

Waikato, New Zealand: Oakberry Farms (Blueberries Rabbit eye)

arandanos 1 arandanos 2

Bluehoney - Concordia, Argentina Monticelli - Concordia, Argentina

OTHER CROPS

The SIS System protects plantations of other crops such as peaches, diverse stonefruit and pipfruit, jojoba and avocado.

Some examples:

San Joaquin Valley, USA:Cornerstone Orchards (peaches)

Catamarca, Argentina:Jocat (jojoba for essential oil)

California, USA:Hahn Estates (avocados)

otros cultivos 1 otros cultivos 2

San Joaquin Valley, USA: Cornerstone Orchards Jocat - Catamarca, Argentina

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Agricultural production developed in the 20th century, derived from the industrial model, resulted in a constant depredation of natural resources, particularly hydric resources and soil. The concept of sustainable agriculture arises in view of the menace of this situation, according to which: "Sustainable agriculture is one that produces abundant food without depleting the earth's resources or polluting its environment. It is agriculture that follows the principles of nature to develop systems for raising crops and livestock that are, like nature, self-sus-taining" (National Center for Appropiate Technology, NCAT (USA),http://www.ncat.org).

Sustainable agriculture tries to avoid the use of chemical products and therefore resorts to organic resources.Regarding frost control, it may already be stated that SIS System is that preferred by organic producers. The absence of negative environmental impact has turned SIS System into the ideal option to achieve an efficient frost control and support the organic certification in the processes. The SIS System responds to this concept in view of its null environmental impact and reduced use of energy (remember that SIS System requires only about 2.5 hp per ha). It should be recalled that the SIS System does not require water, nor combustion gs in the atmosphere, and visual and sound impact are quite reduced if compared with the traditional systems of frost control.

Some of the organic producers that have installed SIS:

Napa Valley, USA: Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Paso Robles, USA: Tablas Creek Vineyard

agricultura organica

Paso Robles, USA: Tablas Creek (Viñedos)

BIOFUELS

It is well known that the use of energy in the more industrialized countries has started to change due to the need to reserve the planet in the process of global warming of devastating results. In this process of change, biofuel is becoming more popular. Farming is rapidly increasing and submission of these crops to the rules of energy markets creates the need to avoid, as much as possible, the unpredictable action of natural agents. Radiation frost is not a minor problem; it can be avoided with an efficient protection system.

Due to the possibility of obtaining excellent results in large planted areas (see section Citrus) and its ability to reduce the cost per hectare by increasing the protected area, the SIS system is a very adequate system for frost control in huge areas planted with the crops used to produce biofuel such as wheat, corn, sugar cane and canola. Therefore FPC is set on improving even more the economy scale that already today is placing SIS over the traditional systems.

biocombustible 1 biocombustible 2

Cases presentation and testimonies

We invite you to learn about some illustrative cases of SIS System's installations in the USA, Oceania, Africa and South America.

wi pere trust

New Zealand : WI PERE TRUST

“This is the greenest option to frost control with the machines only burning on average around two litres of petrol an hour.” Fuente: The Gisborn Herald, Nov. 2009. (texto en inglés)

joanico

Uruguay: ESTABLECIMIENTO JUANICÓ

"Como clientes podemos manifestar que el estudio de riesgo de heladas realizado por los técnicos de Frost Protection en nuestros viñedos, así como en otros proyectos de plantación que asesoramos, ha colmado nuestras expectativas. El trabajo nos permitió entender con claridad los factores que determinan los daños ocasionados por las heladas de radiación en cada zona de riesgo, así como prever la ocurrencia de dichos eventos donde aún no está instalado el cultivo. De esta manera pudimos evaluar la viabilidad del uso de todas las medidas pasivas y activas disponibles. Es de destacar el alto rigor científico utilizado por todo el equipo, así como la constante interacción que nos permitió asociar nuestra experiencia con los conocimientos de los técnicos, dándole la mayor precisión posible al trabajo." Fuente: Comunicación personal de Ing. Agr. Gustavo Blumetto, Bodegas Juanicó. Mayo 2008.

jose antonio merayo

Spain - JOSÉ ANTONIO MERAYO STATE

"Con respecto a la eficacia de los SIS, le diré que he conseguido que la producción se iguale en altura en los árboles. Antes tenía más producción en la parte de arriba que en la parte de abajo. Realmente el levante térmico respecto al testigo que tengo fuera de la finca, no es muy significativo, ya que lo máximo que he observado ha sido de 1ºC, y no todas las noches ocurre ese levante. Pero tengo que reconocer que desde que he instalado los SIS, la producción de la finca ha mejorado." Fuente: Comunicación personal de José Antonio Merayo Fernández. Febrero 2009

humberto canale

Argentina: HUMBERTO CANALE

"En Valle Medio salvamos toda la cosecha con los SIS, agua y calefactores. Los 2 equipos SIS funcionaron muy bien..." Fuente: Comunicación personal Juan Martín Vidiri, Establecimiento Humberto Canale. Mayo 2008

nautilus estate nautilus 2