It’s that time of year when orchard and vineyard managers turn their thoughts to the importance and benefits of opening up and controlling the canopy as early as possible.
It’s widely well-known that good ventilation in the fruiting zone reduces the risk of diseases, improves spray targeting and efficacy, and also increases fruit exposure to sunlight, leading to the development of better colour.
A study on the impact of leaf removal in vines from Oregon State University also proved that mechanical defoliation was just as effective as hand leaf thinning, with both methods having the same results on the vine and fruit.
With this in mind, when it comes to canopy management, it is not surprising that there has been a surging demand for mechanical defoliators and vine trimmers in the last 5 years or so.
Defoliators
Hand-stripping vine leaves is a labour-intensive task and vineyards will often source large groups of seasonal workers to get it done in a timely manner. This approach not only has an associated cost but also depends on the availability of workers, which can be uncertain.
For smaller vineyards, the BMV DFR470 defoliator offers a dependable solution, removing the need for manual labour while delivering consistent results. As an added bonus, this machine can be mounted on the same frame as the BMV vine trimmer, offering dual functionality for growers embracing mechanical solutions.
For medium and large vineyards, German manufacturer ERO has long offered a range of high-quality leaf removal tools including the Elite, the ‘suck and pluck’ roller defoliation method, and VITIpulse, the pneumatic air blast method.
With a usage window from the end of flowering to just before harvest, the newer VITIpulse Duo models feature two pulsed-air blowers in a single working head. Generating pulsed bursts of air the heads work to clean the grape zone, removing outer leaves as well as those in the foliage wall without harming the grapes.
For those looking for more flexible use of the two defoliation systems, ERO combined the two technologies several years ago, creating the VITIpulse Combi, a defoliator with rollers to strip from the exterior and air to get right into the centre of the canopy.
Allowing for more targeted defoliation results to be achieved thanks to the roller removing the external leaves, which then allows the air blast to better penetrate through to the inner part of the canopy, the VITIpulse Combi is today the leading defoliator option for most commercial growers. Operators can choose to combine the use of both systems or run them individually and independently of each other.
For orchards, defoliation is a relatively new technique. Thanks to Fruit-tec’s development of its REDpulse Duo defoliator specifically for top fruit growers, research and trials have shown good data to support that the practice yields worthwhile results.
Utilising ERO’s VITIpulse Duo technology, the pneumatic machine removes leaves from the middle to lower half of the tree to aerate fruit and allow more sunlight penetration for increased colouration. It has also been reported to make picking easier.
Trimmers
Described by many growers as one of the easiest to operate vine trimmers on the market, the ERO Elite vine trimmer handily sits on the same front-mounted mast system as the brand’s defoliators.
The Elite trimmers are operated by a joystick with light-touch action and have a split control box for better positioning in the cab. They also benefit from specially designed cutter blades which are shaped to ensure a surgical cut and reduce wire damage.
For smaller vineyards, the BMV single-sided E600 offers increased visibility with the option to add a top cutting bar that can also be angled up vertically increasing the overall cutting height of the trimmer and making it good for hedges.
Unlike reciprocating saw trimmers, the BMV’s rotating knives have been designed to avoid jamming even when working in with dense vegetation. Growers also typically find that there is less maintenance required as the E600 is vibration-free so there is no stress on the machine or tractor.
Designed with economical orchard management in mind, in place of the saw blades for mechanical pruning in the winter months, the dual-purpose FL800 trimmer from BMV can also be equipped with rotating knives in the summer for trimming and cutting green wood to control growth and promote heavier cropping in new fruit wall systems.
The FL800 PC model features one lower, seven middle and two top 400mm saw blades, with the bottom blade capable of working either vertically or at any angle up to 90 degrees. Equally, the top cutting bar can work both vertically and horizontally, and on the PC model, operators can also adjust the proximity of the two top disks. This allows the trimmer to also be used for cutting hedges and windbreaks around the orchard up to 4.5 metres tall.
Good canopy management has always played a key role in producing high quality fruit, but the way growers achieve it continues to evolve. From targeted defoliation to precision trimming, today’s mechanical solutions allow growers to carry out timely canopy management more consistently, efficiently and economically, helping to support both crop quality and long term vineyard and orchard performance.
For more information on mechanical defoliators and trimmers from NP Seymour, please contact the sales team on 01580 712200 or email sales@npseymour.co.uk