A Total Vineyard Mechanization System and Its Impact on Quality and Yield

Grapevines can be modified by various trellising and pruning methods so they may be successfully mechanized. There are six conditions that must be optimized to successfully mechanize a vineyard. A properly trained vine allows efficient operations with out excessive damage to the vines or reduction of fruit yield and/ or quality. Shoot positioning can be accomplished efficiently with machines which can improve fruit quality and make basal n transporting and processing can affect quality and must be Introduction The global marketplace for wines i others will continue to impact the U.S. wine market. We mu good soils, climate, water, cheap labor, a managed economy ever-increasing cost and shortage. of qualified help will kee our efficiency and productivity through mechanization with for research emphasis. Vineyard mechanization. Totally integrated syste techniques, cultural programs and harvesting methods are in utilization has been required to make mechanical harvesting It is impossible to discuss vineyard mechanization trellis and the training and pruning of vines. The following a vineyard: 1. Vine height. Optimum height is dependent on the harvester shaking mechanism. 2. Vine and row alignment. Any vines or grape stak harvesting. Straight rows and trunks are equally cr positioning. 3. Vine row obstructions. If a totally clear vineyard obstructions. 4. Soil conditions. Wet soil can slow or stop harvest machines to damage vines or to do an inefficient jo 5. Vine trellis system. The trellis system must be de mechanical harvester. Traditionally, grapevines have been traine systems are not necessarily suited to mechanizatio accommodate precise mechanical movement to us production operations. The morphological characte required. Poor trellis design and training of vines c bark, cane, leaves and petioles. 6. Removal of metallic debris. It is imperative in me magnet be installed on the machine's discharge con objects can cause extensive damage to processing Figure I. Mechanical pruning of Bilateral Cordon, shoot-positioned grapes at the U of A Experimental Farm vineyards. odes more productive. Conditions during harvesting, handling, strictly controlled. s becoming increasingly competitive. Chile, Argentina and st stay aware of the developing regions of the world that have , and a favorable exchange rate. This concern coupled with the p us continuously appraising our ability to compete. Improving out adverse effects on wine quality is just one of the many areas ms, which include proper cultivars, trellis design, pruning use today. Extensive research on handling and product feasible. without understanding the importance and significance of the conditions must be optimized in order to successfully mechanize harvester used and gives the most flexibility to the setting of the es out of alignment will be damaged and slow the rate of itical for other mechanized operations such as pruning and shoot is not possible, preplanning must be implemented to circumvent ing and pruning operations. Uneven surfaces can cause the b. signed for maximum harvest efficiency for a given cultivar and d to provide a support system for production. However, these n. Trellis systems must be designed and shoots positioned to e machines successfully for pruning, harvesting, and other grape ristics of different varieties can also influence the system an be major contributors to a high percentage of MOG such as chanically harvested vineyards trellised on wooden stakes that a veyor to collect staples and other iron-containing objects. These