SORBUS ARE THE EXCLUSIVE UK DISTRIBUTOR OF THE BITE SYSTEM

WHAT IS BITE?

Developed by a team led by Dr Lucio Montecchio at De Rebus Plantarum – a spin-off of the University of Padua (Italy); BITE (Blade for Infusion in Trees) is a manual, drill-free instrument with a small, perforated lenticular (lentil shaped) blade that enters the trunk by separating the woody fibres with minimal friction

BITE allows the natural uptake of an external sap compatible liquid  up to the leaves, when transpiration rate is substantial (ie during the Spring to late Summer period).

BITE is a simple, fast & effective method of applying beneficial compounds to trees under stress or in decline.

BITE also ensures that all of the applied treatment goes directly into the tree with no contamination of adjacent targets. This is particularly useful in Urban environments.

HOW DOES BITE WORK?

• In wood plants, xylem sap moves upwards through the vessels due to a decreasing gradient of water potential from the groundwater to the foliage.
• According to these factors and their dynamics, small amounts of sap-compatible liquids can be infused into the xylem system, reaching their target from the inside without any external contamination.
• The BITE system uses a small, perforated lenticular blade that enters the trunk by separating the wood fibres with minimal friction.
• Furthermore, the lenticular shaped blade reduces the xylem vessel cross section, increasing sap velocity which consequently lowers the sap pressure – in fluid dynamics, Bernoulli’s principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure. Consequently, the applied sap-compatible liquid is naturally drawn into the tree.
• BITE is an endotherapic or “trunk infusion” method
• Traditional pressure injection techniques utilise drilling methods in order to gain access to the xylem vessels beneath the bark. This drilling causes significant localised damage to the injection area which is slow to heal
• With the BITE lenticular blade, the infusion ports partially close soon after the removal of the blade due to the natural elasticity and turgidity of the plant tissues, and the cambial activity completes the healing process in few weeks.

BITEKITS

The BITE system is available in 2 sizes of kit. Kit contents are as follows:

All kits are packaged with user Instructions in a convenient tool box.