Page 48 - Grapevine Jan-Feb 2020

Around The Vineyard

air and the twelve-volt power source. process. There may be tasks that you’re willing to
do by hand, but is that going to put you behind on
“And now, we’re making our sprayers smaller, other critical tasks? Can you get it done on time?
lighter and even more economical,” says Hartman. Are there better ways to get that task done and
“This is great news for smaller growers because our stay on the critical timeline of your vineyard man-
three-point trailered electrostatic sprayers can be agement?”
used with smaller tractors. A very popular model is
our one-hundred-gallon trailer that only requires 20 Reiss and BDI Machinery stay focused on tools
horsepower to operate. And when you use small- that have multiple, useful functions for vineyard
er, less expensive tractors combined with smaller owners. Their leaf pullers come as attachments,
sprayer units, you get the additional benefit of less hooked onto a frame that can be attached to a
ground compaction.” tractor.

Multi-Use Equipment For “The latest trend in leaf pullers has been to use
Efficiency And Cost Savings the air impulse pruners,” says Reiss. “A controlled
blast of air shatters the leaves away from the plant.
Bill Reiss, owner of BDI Machinery Sales Inc., has These have been around since the nineties, but bet-
seen it all. So he knows that there’s a lot that goes ter technological developments have made them
into the management of a vineyard, including the trendy now, especially on the East Coast. Earlier
inherent belief that when it’s all said and done, it’s models included a simple fan that used velocity to
always the vineyard manager’s personal decision suck leaves into an impeller blade to be chopped
on how best to run their vineyard. Reiss doesn’t up, and the double drum leaf pullers, still being
want to sell anything that won’t help the vineyard sold and in use today.”
manager improve the land.
With additional attachments available that can
“It’s not just about the right equipment, it’s about be attached to the same frame, a single tractor can
the equipment that’s available to you,” says Reiss. now be used for hedge clearing, pruning and suck-
“The equipment that you want may not be eco- ling removal. Once these implements are hooked
nomically feasible if you are a small vineyard. You up to a tractor with hydraulic capacity, they’re con-
won’t have the spending money to invest in a lot trolled with a joystick for safety and comfort.
of specialty equipment, so it’s imperative as a sup-
plier to always be looking for time and labor-saving “Now you’re helping your clients have access to
ways to get things done. Some vineyard equipment more machinery at less cost,” says Reiss. “They’re
may be good in one region but not useful at all in only having to buy the attachments that they need
another growing region. Most decisions are made for their specific vineyard process. This is good
based on the timing of the growing and harvesting for immediate tasks, but also future planning.

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