The space for movement of machinery in intensive orchards and vineyards is very limited. And for works in such conditions ordinary tractors of universal purpose are not suitable. In modern horticulture and viticulture it makes sense to use specialized energy-intensive machines with a narrow track.
The main feature of tractors for horticulture and viticulture is non-standard dimensions: short base, minimum width, track and height, and, as a consequence, small wheels and compact cabin. "This is dictated by the width of the row spacing, which on average is about 3 m in orchards, which was originally due to a shortage of land for horticulture in principle. Orchards can be located in large areas, the distances between rows of trees and vines of high-margin varieties are still too modest, due to technological and agronomic requirements, such as the peculiarities of over-pollination of plants."
The dimensions of general-purpose tractors (universal row crop tractors) on average are as follows: length - about 4 m, height - about 2.3 m, the size of the wheelbase - 2.5 m. Accordingly, they are no longer suitable for work in modern orchards on dwarf rootstock and even more so in vineyards.
In intensive orchards with a row spacing of 3-3.5 m, machines with minimal dimensions are especially needed. Therefore, gardeners come to the aid of special tractors. The small size of garden tractors allows not to dislodge the crop from the branches and not to spoil the fruit (this is especially important for table production).
The minimum dimensions of a tractor impose restrictions on its layout. Thus, in specialized tractors transmission tunnel can be extended into the cabin space, it runs along the floor, between the legs of the driver, which makes it somewhat difficult to enter and exit the operator, but allows you to perfectly adapt the machine to the specific working conditions.
In the vineyards, the requirements for tractors are even stricter - the width between rows in elite vineyards can reach 1.5 m, respectively, to work in such conditions need a tractor width of no more than 1.08 m.
Manufacturing companies like AGCO (Fendt 200), New Holland (T4 series) and others specially designate their tractors with different markings - F, V, P, N, etc. F-series tractors (for orchards) tend to be wider, heavier and have more ground clearance compared to V-series (for vineyards).
For example, the New Holland T4 series "orchard" tractors have a minimum machine width of 1.44 m, which is 26 cm more than the "grape" series with an overall width of 1.18 m. And the Fendt 200 Vario with the letter F has an overall machine width of 1.34 m, which is 10 cm greater than the "grape" - the Fendt 200 V Vario with an overall width of 1.07 m. And the Fendt 200 P Vario is a special tractor with wider axles and increased payload, with an overall width of 1.68 m.
It makes sense that when choosing a machine, the width of the row spacing, crown height and other dimensional requirements should be the primary considerations. Accordingly, the agronomist responsible for the technology of an orchard or vineyard should be actively involved in the choice of the machine. The machine should pass freely between rows of trees or vines, while not putting pressure on the root layer, because vines, for example, are very sensitive to the conditions of the soil - they need regular loosening and dip. When choosing a garden equipment is important not only the dimensions - length, width, height - but also the weight of the machine. During a season a tractor makes about 35-40 passes over an orchard: mows the grass several times a year, processes bedding with herbicides, and trees - with chemicals against diseases, insects and fungi, conducts nutrition, pruning, loosens the rows, moves the trailer with the harvest, etc.
At the highest intensity of machinery passes in vineyards and orchards after a while not only directly under the wheels, but also 50 cm deep, there is a serious compaction of the soil, respectively, there are problems with water permeability of the soil, the risk of drought increases. The expert advises to solve the problem of reducing soil compaction in orchards by installing wider tractor tires. However, machinery sellers may not offer such tires as standard equipment, and the farm should take care of their purchase at the stage of choosing a power tool, taking into account its technology of crop cultivation.
Modifications of tractors (mainly designed for viticulture) on crawler tracks will also help to reduce the load on the soil. Given that the production areas of vineyards are located on steep slopes, it is desirable that the center of gravity of the equipment be low enough - this will prevent the machine from toppling over. Using tracked machines in this regard is even safer and more comfortable for the operator.
Tracked tractors have better flotation - in mud and stony ground, a wheeled tractor can "play" to the side on uphill or downhill slopes. In a confined space of garden or vineyard, it is not excluded that it can hit a fruit wall and damage the crop, and the crawler tractor in this respect is more stable: its traction and hitching characteristics are much higher than those of wheeled models.
By the way, there are some models on the market that combine tracks on the rear axle and wheels on the front (BCS, for instance). This combination allows not only to make the tractor more stable on slopes, but also to achieve an even load on the ground, distributing it to the front and rear axles by 50%.
When choosing a tractor for a garden or vineyard, pay attention to the turning radius. The limited space for maneuvering causes the search for a machine with a minimum turning radius. In addition, the reduced turning radius provides fuel savings. A solution to this issue is usually realized in specialized tractors with an increased wheel turning angle.
Some garden tractors have special options to further reduce the turning radius, such as Deutz-Fahr and Goldoni, where the brake circuit can be disengaged to reduce the turning radius. And on New Holland T4, N and F series machines the SuperSteer option (installed on the front axle) can reduce turn radius by 15% - from 3.4 to 2.9 m. On some models of Italian tractors, for example, BCS and Landini, is implemented system of articulated (folding) frames, which reduces turn radius to 2.4 m.
In addition, in the most extreme conditions (relevant for vineyards) tractors equipped with reversible control post can be needed: the driver's seat folds together with the steering wheel and turns 180 degrees backwards. In other words, the tractor can drive backwards without losing speed and driving comfort.
Sometimes farmers try to adapt small general-purpose tractors for work in gardens, but such power tools usually have insufficient power, and work in the garden implies using a huge number of mounted and trailed machinery.
Global experience shows that 90% of operations in the vineyard can already be mechanized, in orchards this figure is slightly lower - about 80%. The task of gardeners and grape-growers - is to load the available tractor with implements on the full program, use it with the maximum possible and affordable number of units. Works on inter-row care (loosening, tillage, mulching, etc.), spraying, vine and branch care (chasing, pruning, cropping, etc.), flower thinning, direct collection - all this can be done with the help of various attachments. This means the tractor must have a lot of power.
A typical mistake in selecting a tractor is the approach that figures only the power of the machine, while the power on the PTO and the capacity of the hydraulics (oil pump) are important for the effective operation of the equipment.
Very much depends on the hydraulic capacity, and in such tractors it is necessary to have powerful hydraulic pumps. For stable operation of the enormous amount of mounted and trailed equipment used in modern orchards and vineyards, you need pumps with a capacity of at least 65 l/m, and often with a system of additional oil cooling. Vineyards are often located in southern areas and it is not only important to ensure a hydraulic flow, but also to meet the requirements of heat dissipation, because this will help to avoid overheating.
In addition, for the full and effective use of the attachment, it is essential that the horticultural tractor is equipped from the factory with as many outlets as possible: in the front, rear and sides of the machine.
In horticulture, there are many active attachment cultivation tools with hydraulically driven working tools: pruning, leveling, stamping, leaf removal and other operations are mostly done with tools designed for a stable and powerful flow of hydraulics. And if you plan to use several tools or units that require a large oil flow at the same time, you must order machines with an increased hydraulic pump capacity from the factory.
For example, Deutz-Fahr specialized grape tractors can be equipped with up to 7 pairs of hydraulics (summarily in the front, rear and side pairs of the tractor). It is not worth saving on the oil pump capacity and the number of hydro-ducts if you plan to fully use the set of implements that are available in the farm for the care of fruit trees and shrubs. Otherwise, the performance of the units and the efficiency of their application will be reduced. In addition, many garden attachments (e.g. brush cutters, choppers, pruners, sprayers, etc.) require a front linkage, which means that already when ordering you should remember to install a front linkage at the factory, which is most often offered as an option.
In horticulture and viticulture, there are plenty of implements that are driven by the machine's PTO (Power Take-off). And the sprayer is one of the main implements powered by the PTO. In the horticultural and viticultural industry spraying accounts for the bulk of machinery passes, so for the stable operation of tractors you must pay attention to the characteristics of the PTO.
Experts note that tractors with independent PTO drive (through a separate clutch disc or through a multi-disc clutch in an oil bath) are more reliable. And models with belt drive under heavy loads are more likely to break, wear out and fail.
Repairing a belt drive is easy and fairly inexpensive. The mistake leading to the breakage, the expert calls improper adjustment of the belt tension. If you follow the factory conditions and don't be lazy to adjust the belt position to the required speed of the tool, there will be no problems with overheating and abrasion.
RPM values for the mounted implement are prescribed in the machine passport and belt adjustment instructions are in the tractor's technical passport.Incidentally, in horticulture, you often have to use implements mounted at the front and rear of the machine at the same time (e.g., when sweeping branches between the rows with a front implement and mulching with a rear implement). So, when ordering, you should talk about installing a front PTO and a three-point hitch on the tractor.
The tractor often lacks front ballast weight when working in wet conditions and on slopes. This weakens the traction resistance when working with a trailed implement and leads to tilting of the front axle. And if the tractor is not equipped with front ballast (which is basic for New Holland tractors, but is an optional extra in many other companies), this problem can occur. Of course, the ballast can be additionally ordered, brought separately and installed without problems afterwards, but all this slows down the productivity of the work, so it is better to think about this point at the stage of ordering the factory.
But the transmission can not be changed and supplemented. And very often the harvesting of fruit orchards requires a very low driving speed of no more than 200 m/h. Such a need arises when harvesting and loading the crop into a trailer at the same time. The tractor moves between the rows, so you can increase your output. However, with a conventional transmission this low speed cannot be maintained at all times, and the tractor will drive at least 2 km/h, but then the operator will not have time to harvest the fruit.
Thus, if the farm practices mechanized harvesting and loading with simultaneous movement of the machine (this is usually the case, if the same person is involved in two operations), it is necessary to equip the tractor immediately, even at the factory, with a walk-beam. Or choose a model with a stepless transmission, which also ensures jerk-free travel and a stable downhill gradient.
One of the requirements most often placed on a line of garden tractors is an airtight cab. Spraying is one of the main types of work that such machines have to do. It is both protection from pests, diseases, fungi, sunburn, and feeding, and weed control in the row spacing, etc. To optimize the process, tractors move toward each other along adjacent row-spacing areas like shuttles, periodically getting into a cloud of spray. Now most garden treatments are done with high-pressure nozzles, and the drop size is quite fine, which greatly accelerates the penetration of such a fine mixture into any holes. Only airtightness and enhanced filtration can prevent this mist from penetrating into the cabin.
Many European companies equip the cabs of their machines with an extra filtration package. And by depriving the cab of extra protection, we are saving the operator's health. Changing filters is in principle a stumbling block for many machines - farms are often slow to change carbon filters on time, while after a certain time they themselves become a source of danger: the poisonous substances accumulated in the filters after the set replacement time begin to spread back into the cab.
In general, when choosing a garden line tractor, you should pay attention to the comfort in the cabin: the presence of a cushioned seat, the convenience of positioning the main tools of influence on the machine, etc. The narrow dimensions of such power tools force the operator to stay all day in more cramped conditions than in a conventional tractor. Therefore, the ergonomics of the working place in them and even the dimensions of the operator himself must be carefully thought out, especially in machines for viticulture with a width of 1.3 m.
The main feature of tractors for horticulture and viticulture is non-standard dimensions: short base, minimum width, track and height, and, as a consequence, small wheels and compact cabin. "This is dictated by the width of the row spacing, which on average is about 3 m in orchards, which was originally due to a shortage of land for horticulture in principle. Orchards can be located in large areas, the distances between rows of trees and vines of high-margin varieties are still too modest, due to technological and agronomic requirements, such as the peculiarities of over-pollination of plants."
The dimensions of general-purpose tractors (universal row crop tractors) on average are as follows: length - about 4 m, height - about 2.3 m, the size of the wheelbase - 2.5 m. Accordingly, they are no longer suitable for work in modern orchards on dwarf rootstock and even more so in vineyards.
In intensive orchards with a row spacing of 3-3.5 m, machines with minimal dimensions are especially needed. Therefore, gardeners come to the aid of special tractors. The small size of garden tractors allows not to dislodge the crop from the branches and not to spoil the fruit (this is especially important for table production).
The minimum dimensions of a tractor impose restrictions on its layout. Thus, in specialized tractors transmission tunnel can be extended into the cabin space, it runs along the floor, between the legs of the driver, which makes it somewhat difficult to enter and exit the operator, but allows you to perfectly adapt the machine to the specific working conditions.
In the vineyards, the requirements for tractors are even stricter - the width between rows in elite vineyards can reach 1.5 m, respectively, to work in such conditions need a tractor width of no more than 1.08 m.
Manufacturing companies like AGCO (Fendt 200), New Holland (T4 series) and others specially designate their tractors with different markings - F, V, P, N, etc. F-series tractors (for orchards) tend to be wider, heavier and have more ground clearance compared to V-series (for vineyards).
For example, the New Holland T4 series "orchard" tractors have a minimum machine width of 1.44 m, which is 26 cm more than the "grape" series with an overall width of 1.18 m. And the Fendt 200 Vario with the letter F has an overall machine width of 1.34 m, which is 10 cm greater than the "grape" - the Fendt 200 V Vario with an overall width of 1.07 m. And the Fendt 200 P Vario is a special tractor with wider axles and increased payload, with an overall width of 1.68 m.
It makes sense that when choosing a machine, the width of the row spacing, crown height and other dimensional requirements should be the primary considerations. Accordingly, the agronomist responsible for the technology of an orchard or vineyard should be actively involved in the choice of the machine. The machine should pass freely between rows of trees or vines, while not putting pressure on the root layer, because vines, for example, are very sensitive to the conditions of the soil - they need regular loosening and dip. When choosing a garden equipment is important not only the dimensions - length, width, height - but also the weight of the machine. During a season a tractor makes about 35-40 passes over an orchard: mows the grass several times a year, processes bedding with herbicides, and trees - with chemicals against diseases, insects and fungi, conducts nutrition, pruning, loosens the rows, moves the trailer with the harvest, etc.
At the highest intensity of machinery passes in vineyards and orchards after a while not only directly under the wheels, but also 50 cm deep, there is a serious compaction of the soil, respectively, there are problems with water permeability of the soil, the risk of drought increases. The expert advises to solve the problem of reducing soil compaction in orchards by installing wider tractor tires. However, machinery sellers may not offer such tires as standard equipment, and the farm should take care of their purchase at the stage of choosing a power tool, taking into account its technology of crop cultivation.
Modifications of tractors (mainly designed for viticulture) on crawler tracks will also help to reduce the load on the soil. Given that the production areas of vineyards are located on steep slopes, it is desirable that the center of gravity of the equipment be low enough - this will prevent the machine from toppling over. Using tracked machines in this regard is even safer and more comfortable for the operator.
Tracked tractors have better flotation - in mud and stony ground, a wheeled tractor can "play" to the side on uphill or downhill slopes. In a confined space of garden or vineyard, it is not excluded that it can hit a fruit wall and damage the crop, and the crawler tractor in this respect is more stable: its traction and hitching characteristics are much higher than those of wheeled models.
By the way, there are some models on the market that combine tracks on the rear axle and wheels on the front (BCS, for instance). This combination allows not only to make the tractor more stable on slopes, but also to achieve an even load on the ground, distributing it to the front and rear axles by 50%.
Minimum Vineyard Tractor Turning Radius
When choosing a tractor for a garden or vineyard, pay attention to the turning radius. The limited space for maneuvering causes the search for a machine with a minimum turning radius. In addition, the reduced turning radius provides fuel savings. A solution to this issue is usually realized in specialized tractors with an increased wheel turning angle.
Some garden tractors have special options to further reduce the turning radius, such as Deutz-Fahr and Goldoni, where the brake circuit can be disengaged to reduce the turning radius. And on New Holland T4, N and F series machines the SuperSteer option (installed on the front axle) can reduce turn radius by 15% - from 3.4 to 2.9 m. On some models of Italian tractors, for example, BCS and Landini, is implemented system of articulated (folding) frames, which reduces turn radius to 2.4 m.
In addition, in the most extreme conditions (relevant for vineyards) tractors equipped with reversible control post can be needed: the driver's seat folds together with the steering wheel and turns 180 degrees backwards. In other words, the tractor can drive backwards without losing speed and driving comfort.
Vineyard Tractor Power
Sometimes farmers try to adapt small general-purpose tractors for work in gardens, but such power tools usually have insufficient power, and work in the garden implies using a huge number of mounted and trailed machinery.
Global experience shows that 90% of operations in the vineyard can already be mechanized, in orchards this figure is slightly lower - about 80%. The task of gardeners and grape-growers - is to load the available tractor with implements on the full program, use it with the maximum possible and affordable number of units. Works on inter-row care (loosening, tillage, mulching, etc.), spraying, vine and branch care (chasing, pruning, cropping, etc.), flower thinning, direct collection - all this can be done with the help of various attachments. This means the tractor must have a lot of power.
Vineyard Tractor hydraulics
A typical mistake in selecting a tractor is the approach that figures only the power of the machine, while the power on the PTO and the capacity of the hydraulics (oil pump) are important for the effective operation of the equipment.
Very much depends on the hydraulic capacity, and in such tractors it is necessary to have powerful hydraulic pumps. For stable operation of the enormous amount of mounted and trailed equipment used in modern orchards and vineyards, you need pumps with a capacity of at least 65 l/m, and often with a system of additional oil cooling. Vineyards are often located in southern areas and it is not only important to ensure a hydraulic flow, but also to meet the requirements of heat dissipation, because this will help to avoid overheating.
In addition, for the full and effective use of the attachment, it is essential that the horticultural tractor is equipped from the factory with as many outlets as possible: in the front, rear and sides of the machine.
In horticulture, there are many active attachment cultivation tools with hydraulically driven working tools: pruning, leveling, stamping, leaf removal and other operations are mostly done with tools designed for a stable and powerful flow of hydraulics. And if you plan to use several tools or units that require a large oil flow at the same time, you must order machines with an increased hydraulic pump capacity from the factory.
For example, Deutz-Fahr specialized grape tractors can be equipped with up to 7 pairs of hydraulics (summarily in the front, rear and side pairs of the tractor). It is not worth saving on the oil pump capacity and the number of hydro-ducts if you plan to fully use the set of implements that are available in the farm for the care of fruit trees and shrubs. Otherwise, the performance of the units and the efficiency of their application will be reduced. In addition, many garden attachments (e.g. brush cutters, choppers, pruners, sprayers, etc.) require a front linkage, which means that already when ordering you should remember to install a front linkage at the factory, which is most often offered as an option.
Vineyard Tractor Power Take-off
In horticulture and viticulture, there are plenty of implements that are driven by the machine's PTO (Power Take-off). And the sprayer is one of the main implements powered by the PTO. In the horticultural and viticultural industry spraying accounts for the bulk of machinery passes, so for the stable operation of tractors you must pay attention to the characteristics of the PTO.
Experts note that tractors with independent PTO drive (through a separate clutch disc or through a multi-disc clutch in an oil bath) are more reliable. And models with belt drive under heavy loads are more likely to break, wear out and fail.
Repairing a belt drive is easy and fairly inexpensive. The mistake leading to the breakage, the expert calls improper adjustment of the belt tension. If you follow the factory conditions and don't be lazy to adjust the belt position to the required speed of the tool, there will be no problems with overheating and abrasion.
RPM values for the mounted implement are prescribed in the machine passport and belt adjustment instructions are in the tractor's technical passport.Incidentally, in horticulture, you often have to use implements mounted at the front and rear of the machine at the same time (e.g., when sweeping branches between the rows with a front implement and mulching with a rear implement). So, when ordering, you should talk about installing a front PTO and a three-point hitch on the tractor.
Vineyard Tractor Transmission
The tractor often lacks front ballast weight when working in wet conditions and on slopes. This weakens the traction resistance when working with a trailed implement and leads to tilting of the front axle. And if the tractor is not equipped with front ballast (which is basic for New Holland tractors, but is an optional extra in many other companies), this problem can occur. Of course, the ballast can be additionally ordered, brought separately and installed without problems afterwards, but all this slows down the productivity of the work, so it is better to think about this point at the stage of ordering the factory.
But the transmission can not be changed and supplemented. And very often the harvesting of fruit orchards requires a very low driving speed of no more than 200 m/h. Such a need arises when harvesting and loading the crop into a trailer at the same time. The tractor moves between the rows, so you can increase your output. However, with a conventional transmission this low speed cannot be maintained at all times, and the tractor will drive at least 2 km/h, but then the operator will not have time to harvest the fruit.
Thus, if the farm practices mechanized harvesting and loading with simultaneous movement of the machine (this is usually the case, if the same person is involved in two operations), it is necessary to equip the tractor immediately, even at the factory, with a walk-beam. Or choose a model with a stepless transmission, which also ensures jerk-free travel and a stable downhill gradient.
Vineyard Tractor Cab
One of the requirements most often placed on a line of garden tractors is an airtight cab. Spraying is one of the main types of work that such machines have to do. It is both protection from pests, diseases, fungi, sunburn, and feeding, and weed control in the row spacing, etc. To optimize the process, tractors move toward each other along adjacent row-spacing areas like shuttles, periodically getting into a cloud of spray. Now most garden treatments are done with high-pressure nozzles, and the drop size is quite fine, which greatly accelerates the penetration of such a fine mixture into any holes. Only airtightness and enhanced filtration can prevent this mist from penetrating into the cabin.
Many European companies equip the cabs of their machines with an extra filtration package. And by depriving the cab of extra protection, we are saving the operator's health. Changing filters is in principle a stumbling block for many machines - farms are often slow to change carbon filters on time, while after a certain time they themselves become a source of danger: the poisonous substances accumulated in the filters after the set replacement time begin to spread back into the cab.
In general, when choosing a garden line tractor, you should pay attention to the comfort in the cabin: the presence of a cushioned seat, the convenience of positioning the main tools of influence on the machine, etc. The narrow dimensions of such power tools force the operator to stay all day in more cramped conditions than in a conventional tractor. Therefore, the ergonomics of the working place in them and even the dimensions of the operator himself must be carefully thought out, especially in machines for viticulture with a width of 1.3 m.
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