By: Alyssa L. Ochs
Various tools and pieces of equipment are essential to smoothly operating a vineyard. Yet the versions of these products you choose could significantly impact your labor expenditures and a successful harvest.
This article highlights several specific pieces of vineyard equipment: de-leafers, tillers, sprayers, mowers and shredders. With the input of industry experts, we offer recommendations about evaluating your options and choosing suitable machines for your grapes.
De-Leafers in the Vineyard
De-leafers are machines that remove leaves around grape clusters in a vineyard. They aim to improve air circulation and allow grapes to get more sunlight for growth. Using a de-leafer helps reduce the likelihood of disease and enhances grape quality.
Based in Macungie, Pennsylvania, BDi Machinery offers the Rinieri DRF, a double barrel leaf remover that fits the needs of modern vineyards. Paul J. Licata from BDi told The Grapevine Magazine how this machine removes leaves from the grape zone, increasing maturation and aeration and reducing the amount of chemicals sprayed.
He also shared about the Olmi 430F Air Impulse leaf remover machine with one reversible head, four hydraulic movements, a cardan, and an electro-hydraulic joystick to operate the hydraulic movements. It has a high-speed system head, and the compressor unit on the back of the tractor has a three-point hitch linkage frame with the head at the front of the tractor. OLMI is the pioneer of pneumatic de-leafing and the latest technology available.
Lakeview Vineyard Equipment is based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, and provides a wide range of vineyard mechanization solutions for every scale of operation. Joe Pillitteri from Lakeview Vineyard Equipment shared with The Grapevine Magazine that his company offers leaf removal machines like the Collard Raptor Compressed Air Leaf Removers. The Clemens EasyFix Shootbinder is a tool used to tuck vines behind leaves, and the Collard Hedger and Collard Leaf Removers are also options.
Chino, California-based Gearmore provides quality implements through servicing tractor dealers and aims to offer the finest and most reliable equipment at affordable prices.
Robert Giersbach from Gearmore told The Grapevine Magazine, “Many different implements are available for between rows vineyard maintenance, such as discs, flail shredders, cultivators, tillers and v-rippers. We supply all these implements, as growers may use one or more of these implements that best fits their requirements.”
In general, when shopping for de-leafers, look for models that save manual labor time. Some models can save up to 30 percent of your time rather than de-leafing by hand. Also, look for de-leafers that are gentle to vines, such as air-based systems, so that you don’t damage grapes.
Tillers in the Vineyard
Tillers prepare the soil for planting by breaking it up and mixing the nutrients optimally. Tilling the soil promotes healthy root growth and good water absorption.
Licata from BDi Machinery told The Grapevine Magazine, “We handle Ortolan Power Harrows and Stone and Sod Buriers, plus Tortella Spaders. Depending on needs, application and tractor specs, they are perfect for working the soil in vineyards, orchards, horticulture and nurseries.”
Pillitteri Lakeview Vineyard Equipment said that his company sells a complete line of Clemens vineyard floor management tools to control weeds and prep soil for cover crops. These products include the Clemens Radius SL+ Undervine Weeder, Clemens Over the Row MultiClean and Clemens Finger Weeder/Roller.
As you compare tillers, choose one that matches your soil type. For example, light models do well in sandy soil, while heavy-duty tillers are best for clay. It’s also wise to choose an adjustable tiller with depth settings that you can change to accommodate vineyard needs.
Sprayers in the Vineyard
A sprayer is used in a vineyard to apply fungicides, fertilizers and pesticides. By spraying the vines, you protect them from diseases and pests while giving them essential nutrients.
BDi Machinery represents the world leader in sprayers: CIMA low-volume Atomizer sprayers. These sprayers are designed for efficacy to help growers use less water and chemicals with targeted spray coverage. Licata from BDi said, “Cima sprayers have been designed and built inside the Cima factory in Italy since 1974. Cima sprayers are perfect for vineyard, orchard and nursery spraying. These sprayers allow for more acres per fill-up, uniform spray, more coverage and better control of air distribution. They also allow for less chemical run-off, fewer applications, fewer fill-ups and less maintenance.”
You can purchase Gregoire single and multi-row sprayers from Lakeview Vineyard Equipment, including a recycling sprayer for one to four rows of coverage. Options include the Gregoire ECOProtect L2 Sprayer, Gregoire Progress Sprayer and Gregoire GL7 Harvester with Sprayer Attachment.
A sprayer should provide even coverage to all parts of your vines. Look at models with adjustable nozzles for the best control. Also, look for sprayers with tanks that scale with your vineyard size to minimize the time needed for refilling.
Mowers and Shredders in the Vineyard
Vineyard workers use mowers to cut the grass and trim the weeds between vineyard rows. Mowing helps maintain a clean and managed vineyard floor for better growth.
Shredders are used in vineyards to shred organic debris, such as leftover prunings. The materials shredders collect can be used to retain moisture and enrich the soil.
BDi Machinery offers shredders/mowers ideal for grass and wood in vineyards, parks, and large orchards.
Acampo heavy-duty shredders/mowers are available from Lakeview Vineyard Equipment as well.
“With each manufacturer we can configure options and sizes and machine capacities to fit any size operation,” said Lakeview’s Pillitteri. “We have incredible market share in each category and, as such, have access to high quality used equipment that is backed by warranty. For each product we have chosen a supplier that we feel is the most robust, versatile and best supported product in our space. Ultimately we are acutely aware that equipment is only as good as the dealer that backs it and in our case we feel Lakeview adds incredible value.”
Consider mowers that can easily navigate between your rows without damaging the vines. Wider cutting widths may reduce mowing time, but ensure it’s narrow enough to fit between rows.
The best shredders are durable and can handle rugged vineyard equipment. Efficient models can also handle significant pruning and debris volumes. For easy management, look for ones that sweep debris into the path of your shredder or mower.
Current Trends in Vineyard Equipment
Regarding trending innovations and technologies now available, Licata from BDi shared, “Customers are continuing to seek doing more with less. Whether it’s leaf removal or spraying, moving from single-row to multi-row machines continues to be a trend.”
Pillitteri from Lakeview Vineyard Equipment said that in the last 10 years, he’s seen a remarkable shift away from herbicides and towards minimizing chemical use across the industry.
“Even if our customer base is not completely organic or biodynamic, there’s a strong desire to put less chemical into the fields without sacrificing fruit quality or vine health,” he said. “In that regard we have experienced explosive growth with Clemens mechanical weed control tools and Gregoire decreased volume, EcoProtect recycling sprayers.”
Choosing the Right Machines for Your Vineyard
With a better understanding of the options available for these types of machinery, you can make the best choices based on your vineyard’s size, climate, budget and other factors.
BDi Machinery’s Paul J. Licata advises vineyards, “The two important areas are knowing your tractor’s technical specifications and the implement you are selecting technical information. Both need to work together and allow for correct operation.”
Joe Pillitteri from Lakeview Vineyard Equipment’s advice was to always prioritize a budget based on the growth stage of the vineyard.
“A good sprayer is the foundation for plants to go from planting to fruit production, so invest in a sprayer that allows for excellent coverage in a reasonable spraying window. It’s best to buy ‘right’ first rather than making something work that is going to present reliability issues or simply be undersized for the vineyard your operation,” Pillitteri said.
He continued, “After that, floor management becomes a focus for grape radius, weed control equipment, cultivation equipment and mower/shredders. If and when the time is right, mechanical harvesting is a product line that seems to have gone from a luxury to a necessity based on labor availability and short harvesting windows.”
“When purchasing any equipment I think it makes good sense to ask for at least five to 10 references for any product that a dealer has sold to a similar sized vineyard,” Pillitteri said. “Even if you don’t intend to contact each and every reference, it supplies peace of mind that the product and the dealer will earn your investment.”
Giersbach from Gearmore added, “Growers continue to reduce the number of passes in their vineyards. One of the popular ways is to spray two complete rows in lieu of two half rows, thus cutting spraying time half. Also, by using Venturi concentrated spray, less fill-ups are required.”
Giersbach also shared that at Gearmore, the same implements are available in many different widths and capacities.
“This is needed because of the many tractors horsepower’s and widths,” he said. “Thus, if you tell your supplier this information and your vineyard row width, it will be easier to recommend the implement model that best fits your vineyard.”
