Differences between manual and mechanical harvesting in vineyards

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MANUAL AND MECHANICAL HARVESTING IN VINEYARDS

Mechanization. May 2008
What is the mechanized harvesting?

The mechanized harvesting, unlike the traditional, is one that isconducted with the help of harvesters, which by some rods bowed transmitting through shocks, a movement of vibration to the area of fruiting of the strain that makes discard beans.

The harvester tocollect grains grape released, is provided below a kind of baskets or containers move with a conveyor belt while on the ground are the stalks hanging without grain.

Through a system of extractionby air, the harvest ejected by a nozzle side almost all the impurities, leaves and small pieces of branches.
Row by row, is reaping the harvest until they fill their bins, one for each side of themachine and then when it unloads the harvest in a watertight container, which leaves no escaping the wort. This special food container, once filled, will start at the winery without delay to avoid anyoxidation of grape juice.

[pic]
Harvester working

What does this kind of harvest need?

The harvest needs the system with driving in trellis or in tall glass with their arms aligned and thatthe vineyard is not in a very steep slope while the current machines allow, through a system of compensation, rather slope of the terrain.

In addition to the quality of the harvest is good it isimperative that driving and pruning of the vines, provide defined fruiting of an area both in height and density along the rows.

It is also necessary to reduce strange elements that can take theharvester, controlling vegetation and petals enough about everything in the fruiting zone that will be the most shaken.
Of course vineyards in low surface or strains with very small or very old are alsonot recommended this type of harvest.

[pic]
New Holland-Braud. Model VL 620-63

And what differences do we find in a harvest gathered by hand and another collection with grape harvesting?

The...