Vineyard soil preparation works we can undertake include:
- Cultivations for cover crops:
Using our cultivation equipment, we can prepare ground to create a seed bed for cover crop mixes to be drilled. - Drilling of cover crops:
We can undertake the drilling of cover crops into small and large areas of ground destined to be planted with vines. The cover crops will improve the health of the soil, rebuild soil organic matter and improve soil biodiversity. This is great for preparing the soil for vines. - Spraying off cover crops:
We have a range of precision spraying machinery to undertake the spraying off of cover crops. Prior to ploughing and cultivating, the cover crops need to be sprayed to stop them growing. - Ploughing & Cultivating:
We can undertake ploughing and cultivating to incorporate any standing cover crop and any fertiliser products that may have been applied. - Power harrowing:
We have tractor mounted power harrows that we can use to undertake the final power harrowing to prepare the seedbed for planting.
We can also undertake spading which is carried out using our Gramegna 3m and Falconero spading machines. These are mounted agricultural machines designed for loosening and breaking up the soil. Spading prepares the soil prior to subsequent work, preparing the seed bed in a single pass.
The spading machine is used as a tractor accessory attachment in the field. The principle is the same as that of spading by hand with a spade: blades are driven alternately into the soil, clods are lifted and thrown backwards, and the surface is levelled off by the action of a bar or rake. The spading machine detaches rather than slicing, leaving a porous, permeable bed that allows the soil to breathe and absorb water.
Our Gramegna 3m machine is wider than our smaller Falconaro Spading Machine. It can therefore be mounted to a larger more powerful tractor, giving us the capability of covering larger areas of ground more quickly.
Advantages of using a spading machine:
- The soil is “worked” rather than simply turned over; this means that the root system of crops can still access the most fertile, surface layer
- Aerates and enriches the soil
- Minimises leeching and soil erosion
- Enhances rooting and growth of new plants
- The spading machine can operate even in wet soil
- It mixes manure and other items uniformly
- The clods lifted are an ideal size
- The soil is left perfectly levelled
- Typical horsepower requirements are modest
- Fuel consumption is significantly reduced