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GRAPE GRO WING Mechanization of Vineyards ountiful vineyards may be emblems of peace and pros- perity, but the in-your-face business of caring for the vines is costly to growers and not without risk to workers. The cost of labor is the single biggest expense winegrape growers face each year, while laborers themselves risk repetitive strain injuries and other dan- gers in the course of removing leaves, thinning shoots and pruning. It's a key reason why mechanization of these basic tasks is gaining favor, even with small growers who might not previously have considered investing in machines designed for jobs such as pruning, for which leaving a specific number of shoots for the next season requires per- sonal attention to individual vines. Dan Kraemer, a grower near Mount B Angel, Ore., says cutting costs was a key reason he first considered mechanizing, but the nature of the work was a close second. While he hesitates to estimate savings—he says it's between $150 and $300 per acre, depending on the vineyard—he has no doubts as to the rationale for mechanizing when it comes to working conditions. "It's a mind-numbingly dumb job," he said. "I would be hard-pressed to tell you what we're saving. But it's more than that; the work is just no fun." Kraemer prunes his 550-acre VSP- trained vineyard using a system devel- oped in Marlborough, New Zealand, by Walter Langlois of Machinery Services Ltd. Kraemer was the first in North America to use the system (originally de- signed for cane-pruned vineyards), which he says takes "most of the work" out of pruning. The distinctive feature is a pair of tires that rotate counter to each other as they move along the row (photo on page 64), compressing tendrils and lifting them up from where they're attached to the trellis. A blade then cuts them, and they drop free from the wire. The 64 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 Factors beyond simple economics are pushing growers to mechanize pruning and leaf pulling. cut portions are chipped and deposited between the vine rows to serve as mulch. No pulling canes by hand "It's a very simple concept, but it works amazingly well," says Gregg Marrs, owner of Blueline Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Moxee, Wash., master distributor for the machines in North America. "It eliminates the crew that used to have to be sent through the field to pull those canes even after the pruning cut was made. Either that crew would have to spend time pull- ing the canes out of the wires, or they would send other crews," he said. It also eliminates the risk of canes snap- ping back during pruning and gouging out an eye or causing similar injury. "It's far less physical. You're eliminating a pretty physical operation—jerking those canes out—as well as potential eye injury. That's a big deal," Marrs said. It's a similar story with other pre-prun- ing systems. Joe Pillitteri, owner of Lakev- iew Vineyard Equipment Inc. in Niagara- on-the-Lake, Ontario, says the Primex Highlights Machine pruning can virtually eliminate manual labor, cutting costs and reduc- ing the risk of worker injuries. Mechanized leaf removers can be tai- lored to tasks. Options exist that address exchange rate volatility for purchasing imported equipment. pre-pruners from France's Gregoire Group cut pruning times by 20% to 60%. Unlike vineyard workers, the mechanized pruner never gets tired or injured. By trimming the top foot or two of growth off dormant vines, it makes it easier for workers to enter the canopy and ensure bud counts are optimal (if necessary). Manual labor's difficulties push growers to mechanized work By Peter Mitham