Power harrows for vineyards: why you should use them for your business

Vineyards are a well spread all over Italy and they are dedicated to the production of grapes for both wine and food. However, in order to improve and facilitate a good growth of the plants it’s necessary an accurate soil preparation, using specific solutions. For instance, the use of power harrows in vineyards is extremely crucial, being able to bring incredible results even in the toughest conditions. In this article, we will analyze deeper how these machines work and which benefits they can provide!

Vines’ cultivation

It’s not a casual fact that Italy is considered one of the most important producers of the world in the vine-growing sector: all over Italian peninsula we can find countless hectares used for vines’ cultivation, the core business of a large number of companies.

Vine is a particular plant, which requires the right cures and care in order to get all the benefits from the plant. The environment must present the conditions ideal for the development of the plant; this means that the soil preparation is definitively a key factor for getting the right requirements. In fact, taking this procedure lightly, could be a mistake which can bring negative consequences on the vineyard also in the future. Generally speaking, vine plants prefers light and well drained soil: this plant in fact suffers a lot the water stagnation of the soil, for this reason is not advisable to start the vines’ cultivation in a field which is exceeding in clay presenting poor levels of sand, which is not too deep and with reduced permeability.

In this regard there also some differences on the natural conformation of the field, plain or hilly. As first instance the risk of water stagnation will be higher however, finding a possible solution and working the soil will result easier than being on hill. On the other hand, on the hills the risk of water stagnation is lower. In most cases in fact, hilly fields are chosen for such cultivation. We need however to take into consideration another important issue, in such case: soil erosion. For this reason, it’s extremely important to keep these areas green, with spontaneous weeds and using the grassing technique, which is very useful to improve the soil fertility bringing more organic substance, performing the soil fertilization without fertilizers.

Other factors need to be considered as well, such as the cultivation hillside and the valley floor, especially on the basis of the type of grape that has to be cultivated.

Vineyards’ soil preparation with power harrows

Having analyzed the characteristics which make a field adapt to this type of cultivation, it’s now time to acquire the proper knowledge for the soil preparation, decisive step before vines’ installation.

This is the part where the power harrows rush into action, satisfying all the necessities requested by the soil, to make it ready for the cultivation. In fact, the soil has to be well levelled, eliminating all the bumps and gaps, in order to obtain a regular surface and a well-ventilated field, maintaining its fertility.

Power harrows for vineyards are equipped with specific accessories and for this reason they can work at different depths; in this way they can effectively englobe the organic fertilizer in the rows of the vineyard. Since they are specially designed to work into the vineyards, they present 2 particular characteristics: on one hand their design is compact, so they can be easily used between the raws, on the other hand they present a very solid structure, making possible the utilization also in very hard soil and in fields with stones or debris.

The working principle of these power harrows is based on the counter-rotating rotors fitting vertical tines, which are able to disrupt even the bigger clods, well levelling the soil surface. Thanks to the vertical tillage performed by the power harrows, the soil benefits of a good aeration and the maintenance of its natural composition. The break of clods and the soil tillage performed in such way, avoid soil compaction, a negative phenomenon which causes the loss of soil porosity, with consequence a reduction of organic substance.

Forigo’s solutions for vineyards

Forigo Roter Italia name is owed to the power harrow: Roter in fact, reminds to the rotating movement of the tines, which crumble the soil. During the decades, Forigo not only got specialized in the production of these machines, but also in the production of other types, always related to soil preparation in both agricultural and horticultural sectors.

Starting from the first power harrow, that marked the establishment of the company, the solutions produced got more and more advanced and improved, arriving to the conception of specific equipment for special applications. So power harrows for vineyards got realized, together with the possibility to fit in their back various types of accessories or rollers, not only to adapt to different necessities and areas, but also for creating the possibility to be used for trimming the soil surface, not only on flat but also on raised beds.

Power harrows for vineyards are designed to guarantee reliability and a high-quality work, being able to manage also large volumes of work. All these benefits obtained with reduced consumption. A good exemple of such machines is represented by F110 power harrow combined with an electric-pneumatic seed drill, the perfect combination for the particular environment of vineyards.

Conclusion

A good growth of the vine plant relies on a good soil, which is adapt to the installation of a vineyard and well-prepared to host such cultivation. For this purpose, the power harrows for vineyards are extremely useful, being equipped with specific accessories for this particular crop. The use of these machines can bring impressive results like a regular field surface, well-ventilated soil combined with an optimal structure, avoiding any risk of water stagnation and other disadvantageous phenomenon for the development of vine plant.

Forigo Roter Italia has a decades-long experience in the production of power harrows for vineyards: each solution gets customized on specific customer’s needs, to bring him always the best results. If you need more information on this particular topic and on Forigo Roter Italia solutions, do not hesitate to contact us: our team of experts will be at your full disposal.