pest management
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT AND PLANT HEALTH MAPPING
Villion farms is optimising the company’s grape production by utilising ongoing state-of-the art drone plant health monitoring systems offered by Aerobotics and improving the company’s economic and environmental sustainability through proactive scouting and integrated pest management systems.
AEROBOTICS PLANT HEALTH MAPPING
AS Viljoen recognised the need for more detailed and consistent plant health monitoring across its vineyards, while also aiming to reduce unnecessary chemical applications. To achieve this, the company partnered with Aerobotics conduct advanced aerial mapping of production units at three critical stages throughout the year, during flowering, pre-harvest, and post-harvest.
Using high-resolution drone technology and data analysis, the production team is able to identify underperforming vines early and accurately. The system can detect nutrient deficiencies, pest infestations, disease pressure, irrigation irregularities, and even isolated problem plants within a block. In many cases, issues are traced back to something as simple as a blocked or underperforming irrigation emitter.
This technology-driven approach enables AS Viljoen to make more informed decisions, improve vineyard performance, reduce unnecessary input costs, and maintain the high-quality standards the company is known for.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Villion Farms has implemented an advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme focused on proactive monitoring and environmentally responsible pest control. Instead of relying on highly toxic red-label chemicals, the company uses insect mating disruption techniques and introduces natural predators to manage key pests such as Medfly, False Codling Moth, and Mealy Bug.
The system is supported by a dedicated team of full-time field monitors who inspect hundreds of monitoring points weekly across the production units. Pest activity and vineyard health data are recorded through the In Field app and integrated with the Aerobotics monitoring platform, allowing management teams to respond quickly and accurately to potential issues.
By combining detailed plant health mapping with sustainable biological pest control methods, Villion Farms continues to improve vineyard performance while supporting the long-term environmental and economic sustainability of its table grape production.
ASV Farms is proactive in combating Mediterranean Fruit Flies and works closely with Fruit Fly Africa as part of the country-wide campaign to eradicate this serious threat to the South African fruit industry.
For more information on this visit www.fruitfly.co.za