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The pre-harvest activities
The grape harvest is typically carried out in the weeks between the months of August and September. But that doesn’t mean that the grapevines and rows don’t need to be looked after at other times of year as well! Quite the contrary! Field activities are required in every season, and the space between the rows must be cared for in order to keep the soil healthy, manage weed control, facilitate operations, and ensure a good balance of growth and production. The first operation to be carried out in this space is ploughing, which is performed around March. The goal is to obtain a good balance of growth and production. This is followed by mechanical weeding, which provides for optimal weed control.
The most important things to know about grape harvesting
While the harvest time tends to be between the end of August and the beginning of September, the fact of the matter is that grapes ripen at different rates, depending on several factors: latitude, longitude, temperature and humidity conditions, type of grape, weather conditions, etc… Some late-ripening grapes are even harvested between November and December. Harvesting can be performed manually or mechanically, the latter of which involves the use of a grape harvesting machine that either draws the grapes in or shakes them from the branches. The manual approach results in a more thorough harvest, with fewer crushed or wet bunches, and the use of a grape harvesting machine, no matter how state-of-the-art, will never guarantee the same precision as harvesting by hand. However, it is also important to harvest the grapes quickly, in order to get them into the winery before the fermentation process begins. In this regard the mechanical approach has the advantage, as it is faster than performing the work manually.
REX4 F-GE-GB-GT: the ideal tractor for the space between the rows
When it comes to working between the rows, including the essential harvesting operations, the Landini REX4 is designed with the operator in mind, and is the ideal model for these purposes. The tractor’s design and the contours of its chassis allow it to operate between the rows with exceptional precision and agility, without compromising on power or performance. In fact, the various models are equipped with 4-cylinder, 16-valve Turbo Intercooler, Common Rail, Deutz AG Stage V engines, and are available with power ratings from 75 to 112 horsepower. The driving position on the Platform version is designed to guarantee ergonomic and convenient operator access to all the controls and easy management of the hydraulic utilities; the large platform is even mounted on a Hydro-Silent Block to dampen the shocks and vibrations from the ground.
The REX4 platform is available in the F, GE, GB, and GT versions, and is an ideal ally in the vineyard for all preliminary mechanical weeding and ploughing operations, as well as for the harvesting of the grapes themselves. Viticulture is an essential part of Italy’s production sector, and Landini knows it well. That’s why the professionals at Argo Tractors are constantly striving to improve their products, in order to ensure that they will meet all the farmers’ specific needs as they tackle the annual grape harvest.
