Time for the mechanisation of processes in horticulture and vineyard

Why modern vineyards and orchards cannot do without specialized equipment

    It is now practically impossible to ensure high speed and efficiency of work in viticulture and horticulture without mechanization of all processes. Specialized equipment for orchards and vineyards allows not only to optimize all stages of care, but also to modernize production, thereby obtaining high-quality products. Therefore, investments in modern equipment are undoubtedly the right investments, believes the director of SmartAgro LLC, Alexander LOGVINOV. The Smart engineering group of companies, which has been operating on the market for seventeen years, currently offers a wide range of "smart" equipment for garden, landscape, sports, municipal and farm work. The head of the company told our publication about how to choose the optimal equipment for vineyards and orchards, as well as about the prospects for activity given the situation in the country.

“MECHANIZATION OF PROCESSES IN HORTICULTURE, VINE-GROWING AND BERRY GROWING”

    This is the slogan that guides the daily work of the SmartAgro company. After all, modern specialized equipment, without exaggeration, can completely change the concept of work on plantations, the head of the company is convinced.

Our company is the official representative of the Italian factories BCS FERRARI, CARRARO and the Indian brand Escort FARMTRAC, which manufacture specialized tractors. The equipment from these manufacturers is aimed at those farmers who understand what innovation and mechanization are, and strive to get the maximum yield from each hectare. Those farmers and gardeners who invest resources in equipment and mechanization of processes are undoubtedly successfully investing their money, – Oleksandr Logvinov is sure.

    LLC “SmartAgro” represents more than 70 different factories from Europe, America and Asia in Ukraine. Among them are BCS FERRARI and CARRARO tractors, Orizzonti company (mulchers, contour trimmers and machines for working in the aisles of orchards and vineyards), Zupan Sprayers (sprayers), FISCHER (professional garden mowers and loaders).

    The choice of modern equipment is now very wide - farmers are offered tractors with a capacity of 5 to 105 horsepower. All the tractors offered are specialized: they are narrow, have powerful hydraulic systems, equipped with the correct mechanical transmission. Even the tires are selected according to the crops and aisle conditions on which the soil will be cultivated. This is a multifunctional technique, suitable for the use of various attachments: during planting, soil cultivation, further work in the aisles, etc. In order to choose the most relevant option for a particular farm, the company's specialists at the selection stage help farmers calculate the efficiency and intensity of use of equipment from the beginning of the project implementation. And thanks to a wide range of equipment from leading manufacturers, you can choose the best option for both owners of small areas and companies with thousands of hectares of plantations.

FROM SPRING CULTIVATION TO WINTER PRUNING

    Growing grapes requires a responsible attitude to the process at each stage of work. Depending on the volume of production, tractors with a power of 25 to 110 horsepower can work in vineyards. The choice of equipment also depends on the type of attachments, the specialist emphasizes.

For harvesting, we suggest using tractors with a power of 25 horsepower. However, for hilling or deep loosening of the soil, we recommend equipment with a power of 90–100 horsepower. The features of such tractors are powerful hydraulics and a very high-quality turning angle – the largest in its class. At one time, when we were just starting to work, vineyards in Ukraine were planted with row spacings of 3.5–4 m due to the need to use large equipment during cultivation – general-purpose tractors or agricultural machinery for open fields. Such units do not have the necessary turning angle, and the wheelbase is very wide. Therefore, practically nowhere in the world are they used in vineyards. Instead, now, thanks to the opportunities to purchase modern innovative machines, many vineyards already practice the European type of planting with row spacings 2–3 m wide or even less. And a narrow one – from 90 cm to 1.3 m, but at the same time a powerful Vigneto type tractor (class V) works great on such areas, - says Alexander Logvinov.

In modern vineyards, specialized tractors operate throughout the season – from spring tillage to winter pruning. Such units have front and rear linkages, and the hydraulic system has a capacity of up to 105 liters per minute. Therefore, such tractors are easily adapted to work with any professional vineyard attachments.

For our clients, we try to comprehensively select both tractors and attachments, manufactured by leading global companies. For example, specialized attachments from the well-known Italian brand Orizzonti are made to ensure the most efficient performance of all tasks of an agronomist. With the help of such equipment, you can perform disking, plowing, mowing, cultivation – practically everything that an agronomist needs. Thanks to an innovative engineering solution, you can attach almost any equipment to a tractor. The effectiveness of this technique has already been tested by time, because we have been implementing such equipment for about five years, and European farmers have been for over 70 years, and almost all leading wine producers who grow their own vineyards in Ukraine cooperate with us, - says the head of SmartAgro LLC.

    Despite the fact that there is demand for almost all types of tractors, the most popular ones are currently 75-100 horsepower machines. Since many vineyards in Ukraine have considerable areas - from 100 hectares and more - powerful tractors are able to speed up the work. After all, thanks to the presence of front and rear linkage, they can perform two different operations at once. For such areas, CARRARO tractors (model V, VL) and BCS FERRARI Vega are most often used. QUALITY CARE ENSURES LONG-TERM OPERATION

    Instead, the optimal option for equipment for an apple orchard is the Frutteto tractors from CARRARO. They have a wider wheelbase and a different turning angle. In addition, the technical characteristics of such a tractor allow the use of wider attachments - from 3 to 5 meters. The optimal power of a tractor for the garden is 75 horsepower. However, for intensive garden cultivation, where the row spacing is usually narrower, less powerful equipment can be used - from 50 horsepower (CROMO K60 from FERRARI).

    A specialized tractor from leading manufacturers costs an average of 42–50 thousand euros. However, provided that the equipment is operated correctly, such an investment will pay off. After all, such a tractor can work without problems and major repairs for 20–25 years.

Our company's service department provides warranty and post-warranty service, if necessary, we supply spare parts and consumables. However, we emphasize that the quality of the equipment also depends on the careful attitude towards it. Therefore, every farm should have an employee responsible for the equipment. His task is to ensure constant and thorough maintenance. Classic maintenance involves carrying out certain actions after every 8 hours of operation. In particular, you need to determine the oil level, check all sensors, inspect the appearance and make sure that the tractor is stored in a safe place. Each of our clients receives a technological card, which indicates all the rules for care, - notes Oleksandr Logvinov.

    All equipment offered by SmartAgro LLC is certified. For many years, the company has been cooperating with banks, leasing companies, and also sells equipment under all state programs of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy. And in today's realities, like most businesses in Ukraine, the company works on two fronts - for business development and to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Now, due to military operations, our logistics have changed significantly. We temporarily lost some clients from Kherson, Donetsk, and Kharkiv regions. Our clients in Chernihiv regions were also significantly affected - farms were destroyed there, equipment was stolen and burned. Now we are working at a more or less normal pace, since the products we sell are strategically important for the agricultural sector. In the future, after the victory, we hope for the active development of small farming and cooperatives, in which such producers will unite. This will be facilitated by both state programs and the opportunity to receive European grants. After all, our country has everything for development. We just need to introduce the right mechanization to reduce costs and increase efficiency, and accordingly, the quality of products, which Ukraine will definitely supply to most countries of the world, - the company manager is convinced.

    And after the victory, SmartAgro LLC intends to open representative offices in all regions where they have not been before (especially in CRIMEA) with the belief that these representative offices will be returned and will operate in the currently occupied regions after their liberation.

    Contacts:  https://smartagro.in.ua/, +38 (067) 371 84 84, +38 (067) 372 84 84