Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/112023
COVER STORY vineyard management company Vineyard Professional Services, Crossland helps manage 3,000 acres in the Central Coast and is the former vice president of vineyard operations for Beckstoffer Vineyards, based in the Napa Valley. Ag Soilwork���s system employs a parabolic shank with an attached wing that moves up and down via a hydraulic mechanism as the shank is pulled through the soil. The soil loosening is at about 4 feet deep, and cross ripping is no longer necessary. In about two passes, Crossland said the machine could break up the future soil row to full depth with lateral break out. Crossland said the ripping machine is pulled at 4 mph by a heavy-duty Cat Challenger tractor guided by RTK GPS system that���s accurate to less than 1 inch. The machine also can incorporate soil amendments during a pass to essentially get a piece of land planting-ready far quicker. ���We���re more effective, and then at the end of the day we save money,��� he said. Since 2008, Crossland said the company added a second machine. Last year they prepped 4,000 acres in California. The technology has been used for high-volume sites in the Central Valley and Central Coast as well as the Napa Valley. The efficiency may make it cheaper to operate than standard rippers, but a grower still needs to pay to get the machine and tractor to his vineyard. Crossland said some growers have shared the cost of transport. Before any job, Crossland said his team needs to inspect the soil���preferably with a few pits���and also consult with a soil expert to prescribe any needed ripping amendments. Italian grower mechanizes in Central Valley W hen Claudio Basei came to the United States from his native Italy in Ripping needs a little moisture 2007, he was surprised that other farmers Traditional viticulture has called for soil to be as dry as possible prior to ripping, but ���that actually does a great deal of damage to the soil structure,��� Crossland said. He said both his experience and academic research now indicate that soil preparation is more effective when there���s a fair amount of moisture present���or when it���s near the ���plastic limit��� (the moisture content where a thread of soil breaks apart at a diameter of 3 mm). With a fair amount of moisture, a clump of soil can be rolled into a ribbon and maintain its form. When the soil is moist, the ripper will break up the superstructure without pulverizing the soil into a powder, Crossland said. The company also sells a smaller version of its Vibrosoiler that is designed to in California���s sprawling Central Valley still relied on manual labor for many jobs aside from harvesting. He said most vineyards in Italy have been planted with machines for years. When it was time to plant 120 acres of table grapes last year, Basei, who is the director of winemaking and general manager of Cacciatore Fine Wines & Olive Oil Corp. in Pixley, Calif., said he opted to use a machine to develop the vineyard. He said it���s not just a challenge to find enough workers for the company���s 422 acres of winegrapes in Tulare County, it���s hard getting workers who know what they���re do- Orchard Master Tools and Equipment ing. Grapegrowers also are competing with orchard and nut farmers. ���They can pay the labor more,��� he said. ���Sometimes you can have a crew in the vineyard, and (if) the next Why Pay More? field is paying $1.50 more they���re just going to leave.��� The Orchard Master electric pruner is qualitybuilt and perfectly suited to the orchard or vineyard. Our electronic pruners are durable and can be used all day on a single charge. These pruners are powerful and lightweight with a comfortable rubber grip. A light weight vest holds the 44 volt lithium battery and is comfortable while supplying a continuous power source. Talking about his plans at the start of the year, Basei said he���s working toward a fully mechanized vineyard. After a crew has lowered some spurs by hand pruning, Basei said he would be able to prune all the vines with a machine. He said he would use a cordon brush machine for suckering and, if necessary, shoot Invest in our Quality-built lithium battery powered electric pruners. Save time and money while reducing the risk of serious repetitive use injuries and associated labor and industry liabilities. thinning for crop balancing. He will use a shoot binder to tuck the canes into the wires for better fruit positioning and may use a Save on Labor Costs machine to thin the crop or pull leaves. Basei said he wants to see how much he can www.orchardmaster.com 855-5-PRUNER Use online promo ���winesandvines��� and get free shipping! mechanize while still maintaining optimum quality for the winery that produces 10,000 cases per year. A.A. 28 W in e s & V i ne s M AR C H 20 13