In our plum orchard located in Kikuka, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture, we are working on measures against pests such as wild boars.
Wild boars prefer to eat tree roots, which causes them to dig large holes and disturb the fields.

A large hole dug by a wild boar.

While weeding, there are times when one might not notice a hole, causing the weeding machine to fall into it, which may require towing by a truck.
To prevent such damage in the future, we have installed a fence as a new pest control measure!

The company's plum orchard, which is surrounded by a fence approximately 1 km long, has about 500 plum trees planted.
Wild boars are surprisingly strong and attempt to dig under the fence to intrude, so ground measures are also important.

Additionally, alongside the installation of the fence, we are also carrying out the pruning of plum trees in preparation for spring.

If left unattended, plum branches can grow to an unmanageable extent, making management difficult, so the overall balance is adjusted to encourage outward growth of the branches.
Making incorrect cuts can affect the fruiting, so this is an important task that requires experience and judgment.

The small flowers were already blooming!
I hope that this boar control measure will reduce the damage.