By: Gerald Dlubala
Standard vineyard equipment is needed to work the ground around and in between rows and work above ground on the vine structure and leaf canopy. However, specialized machinery can be expensive. Rather than trying to afford and find space for each implement, tow-behind implements offer savings on storage, maintenance and downtime costs. Recently, equipment manufacturers and vineyard managers have started to realize that the wave of the future is efficient, easy-to-use, multi-function equipment that attaches to a tractor and may already be in the vineyard’s back yard.
Rinieri Delivers Innovation in Multi-Functional Equipment
“When we talk to our customers, 90% say that in future purchases, they’ll look for equipment and tools that are efficient, multi-functional and easy to operate,” said Grant Allen, the current North American distributor for Rinieri equipment. “Orchard and vineyard owners drive our market and let us know what they want, and we do our best to satisfy that need. With our line of multi-functional equipment, all sizes of vineyards now have options that can save time, money and the cost of being short of labor at critical times. Upkeep on vineyards is time-sensitive. That, combined with record labor shortages, and there is a definite benefit to owning multi-function implements that can be used, maintained and switched out by a single user.”
Rinieri has spent over 100 years as a family-run manufacturer of innovative orchard and vineyard equipment. It offers a Turbo EVO line as just one way to accommodate consumer demand for multi-use, easy-to-operate equipment. Its other most popular implement, the Bio-Dynamic, is exceptional at fast weeding–up to seven mph–in between rows in orchards and vineyards. Rinieri multi-tools feature three-point hitch hookups and dual control adjustable hydraulics that maneuver the equipment in an inward and outward motion, offering increased speeds, performance and time savings over standard single hydraulic systems.
“With the option of having interchangeable heads, vineyard managers get access to all the tools they need to do their mowing, cultivating, weeding, discing, plowing, sucker removal and more,” said Allen. “Smaller producing vineyards can start with the basics, maybe just the one or two heads that they use most often and add other heads if needed. Rinieri designs their equipment to be used with your current farm tractors, but if you don’t have the hydraulic capability on your current equipment, they can help with that as well.”
Allen said that a significant advantage of using Rinieri’s multi-tool equipment is the ability of the vineyard to move into a more organic way of farming.
“Organic farming practices are the future. Consumers have become invested in purchasing from organic producers, so vineyards must move to meet this demand. Our tooling helps alleviate the need for chemical use. With access to multiple implements to help maintain the vineyard, the pressure and need to use chemicals lessens. Organic farming practices are a major trend that is not going away. Consumers are looking for organic capabilities in their major purchases, so equipment designers and manufacturers have to respond.”
Optimizing time with efficiency: Tillage Management, Inc
Typically, vineyard managers look to tillage equipment in the fall or early spring for working the ground and incorporating any cover crops into the soil. By offering implements that can perform the required operations without multiple passes over the area, Tillage Management Inc’s Project Manager Kat Coombes said that they save the vineyard owner time and money by increasing efficiency and ultimately spending less time in the fields.
Comprised of working farmers and engineers, Tillage Management Inc. is a relative newcomer to the vineyard implement market, offering high quality, heavy-duty, multi-functional tillage implements for farms, orchards and vineyards. Their Optimizer one-pass tillage system combines disc and chopper blades to clear cover crops, uproot weeds, maintain level soil and keep berms clean using one-pass efficiency. A newer addition to their line-up, their chisel roller CR-series, works to break up soil compaction and leave a level working surface in the vineyard. Their heavy-duty equipment incorporates multiple operations in one pass, reducing labor, time and fuel use. Additionally, reducing the amount of tillage is key to preventing moisture loss and topsoil loss from dust. Tillage Management Inc has earned EPA certification for dust reduction with their equipment and offers a rental program for smaller vineyards that don’t need or require full-time ownership of their implements.
“As working farmers, we know the benefit of equipment that is operator-friendly and time-saving,” said Coombes. “Both our Optimizer and CR series can be adjusted, hooked up and operated by a single user. We offer minimal adjustment points, maintenance-free bearings that limit the number of grease points, and larger than standard disc blades, 28 inches over the standard 22 to 24-inch blade. In addition to cutting down the number of passes an operator must perform, the larger disc blades are an advantage to the steadily growing organic farming sector. More farmers realize the benefit of growing cover crops to reduce the amount of spraying needed for pests. Those pests naturally get drawn to more and larger cover crops. Then, those cover crops are incorporated into the soil easier and more efficiently using our larger disc blades and one-pass system.”
To get a timely return-on-investment benefit on Tillage Management’s high-quality, low-maintenance equipment, Coombes recommends its equipment for vineyards of at least 100 acres. Still, she wants vineyard owners to know that they will be investing in equipment that will last for decades and operate downtime-free when needed.
“With the move toward automation and efficiency, investing in quality, labor and time-saving devices in the area of both maintenance and usage is an important consideration that all farmers should look for in any equipment or tooling purchase,” said Coombes. “As the trend towards organic farming continues to grow, companies like ours will continually be offering designs and equipment to support a more organic approach. It’s the best way to serve our customers.”
Put a charge into your spraying: On Target Spray Systems hits the spot
Vineyard owners generally spend money on their most-used equipment, which indicates the importance of that task. For many vineyard owners, that means an efficient, reliable, quality sprayer, and Oregon-based On TARGET Spray Systems has long been the leader in electrostatic sprayers for all agricultural needs. Among their current offerings are newer, more compact units with either 50- or 100-gallon tanks, with the larger size allowing an operator to treat up to five acres without requiring a refill. In addition, the units feature reliable Honda motors and can be attached to or pulled by small tractors, ATVs or even side-by-side equipment that most vineyard owners already own.
“They’re extremely valuable to a vineyard owner,” said Willie Hartman, President and owner of On Target Spray Systems. “With an outside tire-to-tire width of only 48 inches, the operator can apply the spray in either a single or double row application, even in tight rows, meaning less time in the field, less soil compaction, and less water and solution use. With winemaking trending toward a more organic future, it’s even more important to have a sprayer that provides complete, 360° contact coverage to keep the spray on the plants, not on the ground. On Target’s 360° underleaf technology provides precise delivery of foliar feeds and biorationals, uniform coverage and faster drying time with lower spray volume.”
Hartman told The Grapevine Magazine that using contact materials rather than systemic variations is critical with organic gardening, so it’s essential to get complete coverage that keeps the materials on the plant and off the ground. On Target’s sprayers are designed and manufactured with proprietary electrostatic technology that provides comprehensive coverage, including the undersides of the leaves and within the clusters, while using less water and materials. Their spray booms can be adjusted and turned on and off individually as needed. In addition, standard-equipped onboard rate controllers and GPS modules automatically adjust to the driver’s speed and location, slowing down or speeding up the spray rate and volume to keep it at the preferred level, creating a superior consistency in coverage.
“A standard sprayer uses 100 gallons per acre sprayed, whereas our electrostatic sprayers will use 20 gallons over that same area,” said Hartman. “So we can spray 10 acres on a 200-gallon tank sprayer versus only two acres when using a standard sprayer. That’s an immediate opportunity to save money on water use. Add in the time saved with fewer return trips to refill the tanks, less overall material to spread, less time spent on the tractor, less money spent on fuel, and the advantages of electrostatic sprayers keep piling up. Environmentally speaking, by using less water and concentrated spray, electrostatic prayers result in less runoff, minimal drift and improved chemistry coverage, all essential aspects for moving away from systemic treatments and into a more organic way of farming.”
With increases in sprayer use comes increases in sprayer maintenance. Hartman said that it is obvious to look for quality, serviceable parts when purchasing a sprayer. Still, as a consumer, you should also look for sprayers offering onboard solutions to make your daily job easier and more manageable.
“One of the most important maintenance issues with sprayers is rinsing after use,” said Hartman. “On Target’s sprayers feature onboard rinsing tanks that are accessible with the flip of a switch. In addition, all the components needed for droplet charging in electrostatic spraying, including the liquid, air and the 12-volt power source, are on board and separately enclosed.
Getting All Misty: A1 Mist Sprayers
Mist sprayers are another option for vineyard owners. Versatile enough to apply insecticides, herbicides and fungicides throughout the growing process, misting sprayers send your spray applications to the target, both on top and underneath the leaf structure. Foliar feeding is beneficial for several reasons, including when insufficient fertilizer exists, rapid or accelerated growth is wanted, the nutrients are locked in the soil or soil temperatures are not conducive to using the applied fertilizer. Foliar feeding gets absorbed and utilized quickly, starting within minutes of application and completed, with most nutrients, within one to two days.
“A1 Mist Sprayers enable you to create spray barriers to help not only your vineyard crops, but also your livestock and feedlots, and truck farming crops,” said Jon Kulzer, A1 Mist Division Manager. “Our units utilize a high-velocity air technology system that enhances coverage while using 90% less chemical and 50% less water. The two-way volute gets pumped through nozzles into the created air stream, creating a fine mist solution specifically designed to allow the operator to reach the preferred target areas on each side of the sprayer in one simultaneous action.”
A1 Mist Sprayers can work with the equipment that a vineyard already utilizes, including tractors, trucks, ATVs and side-by-sides, so finding a unit to fit your needs is never an issue.
Kulzer told The Grapevine Magazine that any grower needs access to a cost-effective, versatile and user-friendly sprayer in today’s market. A1 Mist Sprayers feature powder-coated frames for chemical resistance and easy calibration systems, with the ability to spray from 100 to 800 micros and reach an 18-foot vertical pattern. Additional options include a backflush feature available on some units, making switching between applications quick and easy.
