The precious grapes of the Vigna La Rosa cru, which yield a Barolo included in the Wine
Spectator Top 100, will be harvested with the aid of the first prototype New Holland TK
Methane Power crawler vineyard tractor with biomethane-fueled FPT Industrial F28
Natural Gas engine.

Launched in February 2021, the partnership between FPT Industrial, the world’s top producer of low environmental impact engines, and Fontanafredda, the historic winery founded by the first King of Italy in 1858, which currently has 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards, forms part of the Green Renaissance project, launched to promote best-practice grape cultivation with no environmental impact.

Recently named “Engine of the Year 2020” thanks to its modular, multi-propulsion approach, the FPT Industrial F28 engine, already at work at the Fontanafredda estate in its biomethane configuration, has a carbon footprint of zero, since the biomethane that powers the engine is not a fossil fuel but is produced by the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste.

Everyone attending the Grape Harvest Festival will enjoy a close-hand view of both the FPT
Industrial F28 NG biomethane engine and the prototype New Holland TK Methane Power
crawler vineyard tractor, the star of the first zero-emission Barolo harvest, at the brand’s stand, set up on the estate for the occasion.

“We are very proud of our partnership with Fontanafredda and to be working with them on this project, which brings together Italian products of excellence: Barolo wine, constantly rated one of the world’s best, and the leading-edge sustainable technology of our Italian-built engines. While we wait for the first zero-emissions Fontanafredda Barolo to age in the wood so we can drink to this truly unique project – it will take about four years – I’d like to underline that our biomethane engines are available as of now, ready to reduce environmental impact not only in agriculture but also in short, medium and long-range transport applications,”

comments Carlo Moroni, Head of Communication at FPT Industrial.

The three-year partnership between FPT Industrial and Fontanafredda is supported by the Piedmont Region’s Tobias Project with contributions from New Holland Agriculture, CNH Industrial, and local businesses.

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“We are thrilled to announce the ahead-of-schedule deployment of the first of several Monarch Tractors. Our tractor has undergone strenuous real-world testing and is now ready to get to work and deliver on the promise of a more sustainable and efficient farming operation,”

said Praveen Penmetsa, chief executive officer, Monarch Tractor.

Monarch Tractor and Wente have been partners throughout the tractor’s beta phase. The two companies found synergy with Monarch’s traditional farming features, cutting-edge technology, and sustainable capabilities, merging the Livermore wine region with Silicon Valley tech.

“We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of the Monarch Tractor in our vineyards. Monarch Tractor represents the future of tractors and to be the first customer deployment is especially exciting as we kick off this new era of sustainable farming,”

said Niki Wente, Wente Vineyards.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) FARMER Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in underserved communities. Additionally, CARB contributed to the FARMER program by adding Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects, an initiative leading to a grant offered to Monarch Tractor by CARB through the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

“Monarch has demonstrated great leadership in the manufacturing industry to help reduce air pollution and protect the climate with their innovative zero-emission farming equipment. The Air District was pleased to award Monarch this grant funding to further this work,”

said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District.

The award-winning Monarch Tractor combines electrification, automation, machine learning, and data analysis to set a new standard in tractor technology and capabilities. To see the Monarch Tractor in action, watch this video.

The post First Monarch Tractor Report to Work at Wente Vineyards appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

RipeLocker’s containers are produced using an injection mold, designed for reuse within the existing cold chain.

“We were extremely pleased with the quality of the blueberries that had been stored in RipeLocker containers for eight weeks. They looked like they came right out of the field,”

said Jeff Weijohn, owner of Blueberry Hill. If the company decides to adopt the technology, it expects to be able to use each container four to five times each season.

Reusability is not the only element of RipeLocker’s containers that lends itself to sustainability. The product’s capacity to slow the decaying process, reducing the amount of produce that needs to be discarded due to decay while in storage. A reduction in food waste means less need (and subsequent use of resources) to produce additional crops. The containers enable produce and flower growers to ship via land or ocean instead of relying on air freight – resulting in, according to RipeLock, 44 times fewer carbon emissions. Lastly, RipeLocker containers enable bulk shipments, so the packaging can be reduced with larger product increments.

The technology behind the containers

RipeLocker containers manage the atmospheric pressure, humidity, and gas composition (oxygen and CO2) within the vessel to extend the life of fresh produce and flowers. Suppressing pathogen growth, considerably less decay will occur during storage – and RipeLocker containers can also provide the vehicle for delivering organic fungicide vapors to kill the pathogen.

Based on the specific needs of each type of fresh produce or flower, RipeLocker tailors operating parameters, such as internal pressure, oxygen, and CO2 levels to optimize longevity and freshness. The system responds to changes in the storage or shipping environment, making automatic precise adjustments to prevent damage and reduce decay.

Not just for blueberries

RipeLocker has proven its storage method for a variety of applications in partnership with major growers and agricultural universities:

• Pomegranates: After five months in storage, pomegranates held in RipeLocker containers remained in prime condition. Inspection comparisons resulted in data indicating the fruits’ respiration rate was slowed by up to 50 percent. Implementation of a storage product like RipeLocker could extend the North American season.
• Papayas: In spite of being highly perishable, tree-ripe papaya held in RipeLocker containers lasted 30 days at peak quality, which could lead to slower transport being a viable option for shipments.
• Hops: Tests during the fall of 2020 resulted in fresh hops from CLS Farms maintaining fresh-picked quality six weeks later. With fresh hops selling at higher margins than dried varieties, hop dealers will be able to sell to markets that are further away in a way that was previously too costly.

The post RipeLocker Container Trial Shows Promising Storage Results for Blueberries appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

The system works with eVineyard and eOrchard software for daily optimized variable rate irrigation, optimizing crop results and saving resources. The Vinduino 5th generation wireless irrigation controller works seamlessly with other Vinduino products, such as the Vinduino R4 soil moisture sensor station, and can join with up to 1,000 stations in a 10-mile range wireless network.

LoRaWAN radio technology provides always-on instantaneous response, allowing for wireless scheduling of multiple units and perfectly synchronized pump and valve operation. One unit can control four irrigation zones, and one master valve or pump, while operating on solar or mains power. Integrated flow rate tracking allows precise irrigation volume management per irrigation zone.

The Vinduino 5th generation wireless irrigation controller can detect leaks and autonomously stop irrigation while sending an alert via email and text message.

“With the new synchronized valve control feature we introduce unique scalability, allowing separate locations to work in concert with each other. This enables pump control and fertilizer injection in lock step coordination with irrigation operations.”

says Reinier van der Lee, CEO and founder of Vinduino.

“Bringing support for real-time operation of valves and pumps with Vinduino using LoRaWAN wireless technology is another exciting aspect that we strongly believe will make life easier for the farmers who use eVineyard and eOrchard solutions”,

said Matic Serc, CEO of Elmibit, a leading provider of agriculture software solutions.

The post Vinduino Launches Their 5th Generation Wireless Irrigation Controller appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

To help these shredders pass easily under low-hanging plants and trellises, the BV 10 and 100 series were designed with an especially low profile in mind. The hood opening is among the best in the industry and provides operators with a large clearance range to increase throughput of branches and prunings.

The heavy-duty gearboxes and new PowerQuad IV belt drive offer outstanding power transmission. A shaft transmits power from the main gearbox to the new PowerQuad IV rotor drive belts. These drive belts improve power transmission over previous models while using the same number of belts, and are designed for reliable service with minimal maintenance.

Redesigned hammer knives feature a curved back to reduce damage to the rotor if an obstacle is struck. These heavy knives will easily power through clippings and brush up to three inches in diameter. There are also an industry-leading three rows of counterknives inside the hood of each BV series to create fine clippings for quick decomposition.

The rear roller on the BV series shredders feature removable ends, allowing a bearing to be replaced without replacing the entire rotor. It also features multiple height adjustments that leave the optimal grass height in a variety of situations.

Kuhn North America, Inc., of Brodhead, Wisconsin, is a leading innovator in agricultural and industrial equipment. KUHN offers a broad range of hay and forage, livestock, and crop production tools, as well as landscape and road maintenance equipment. KUHN, KUHN Knight and KUHN Krause products are sold by farm equipment dealers throughout the United States, Canada and many other countries.

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The post Pellenc Presents its New Under-Vine-Cultivator and SoftTouch Leafer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Winegrowers living in different areas of the world have different climates, landscapes, microorganisms, yield, grape varieties, and they must adapt their growing and harvesting practices to local conditions across different geographies. New Holland is launching a new blue destemmer mesh to extend its existing range and provide every vinegrower across the world with a suitable solution, in every condition.

The on-board destemmer has been part of the New Holland Braud grape harvesters’ DNA since their launch in 2002. Available on all grape harvesters, this system detaches grapes from stems and separates the detached stems from the grapes, removing stem fragments, petioles and leaves to ensure only the grapes go into the hoppers. This system improves harvest quality significantly. It can be easily mounted on every grape harvesters’ destemmer already produced.

“When sorting grapes, a grape harvester needs to adapt the meshing sizes to achieve the best sorting capacity, removing all unwanted MOG (Material Other than Grape) to keep only the best grapes. By extending the mesh offering, we are effectively giving our customers additional possibilities on their destemmer for targeting the sorting and obtain excellence with their grapes to make the best wines,”

says Philippe Boisseau, Marketing Specialist for Grape and Olive Harvesters at New Holland Agriculture Global.

The new blue destemmer mesh is the reference for small grapes

Presented at SITEVI 2019, the new, blue-coloured destemmer mesh features smaller holes to improve the harvest quality for small grapes, such as merlot or cabernet. The new mesh improves the sorting of small MOG and delivers premium grape sample quality, especially for the red grapes.

This new destemmer enables a suitable machine throughput with mesh permeability. The blue mesh design, with a higher number of smaller holes, removes more MOG, maintaining a suitably high capacity in average yields.

A range of destemmer meshes for every condition

With this latest addition, New Holland extends its current destemmer range for Braud grape harvesters, which now includes:

• Pink destemmer: 24 x 24 mm holes. It is the most versatile mesh and can work in all conditions. It is the first destemmer New Holland launched, back in 2002.
• White destemmer: 29 x 25 mm holes. It is ideal for high yields or big grapes. This mesh ensures a high capacity and prevents fruit losses in these specific conditions. It was launched in 2018, and since 2020 it is also available for all destemmer widths. It increases the throughput for narrow destemmer frames.
• Blue destemmer, 20 x 20 mm holes. It is ideal for small grapes in low or medium yields.

New Holland has also designed a dedicated tool to switch destemmer meshes in less than 10 minutes for more productivity.

The new blue destemmer mesh proves its worth in the vineyard

Etav Chollet is a family run contracting business based in Saint Denis de Pile, in France, that specialises in vineyard work, performing a variety of jobs, including harvesting. The company, run by brothers Pierre and Guillaume Chollet, is a long-time loyal New Holland customer, since their father purchased his first Braud grape harvester, an SB36, 30 years ago. Today they operate a fleet of three Braud grape harvesters – a 9070M Destemmer, a 9070M Opti-Grape, and a 7030M Opti-Grape – which are used for harvesting and multipurpose applications, including spraying.

The Chollet brothers tested the new blue mesh during the 2019 harvesting season. They were looking for a solution to meet their customers’ demand for higher harvest quality, with attention to the removal of every piece of stem. The experience was extremely positive:

“The harvest quality with the blue mesh has significantly improved, with 2 to 3 times less MOG,”

explained Pierre Chollet.

“We are pleased with the results we have achieved – so much so, that we will equip our three grape harvesters with the blue mesh for the 2020 harvesting season,”

concluded his brother Guillaume Chollet.

Source: New Holland Agriculture

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The Rex3 F line up features three different powers for its 4-cylinder, 2.5-litre Kohler engine, namely 55, 68 and 75 hp, with torque reserves of 50%, 45% and 32% respectively.

Engine RPM management is provided by the Engine Memo Switch that allows you to store and quickly recall settings when passing from one activity to another. Its 50-litre diesel tank allows full operation over a working day.

The winning features of the new Rex3 F Series are undoubtedly its compact dimensions: wheelbase 1,950mm; minimum ground clearance 213mm; external width from 1,350mm to 1,617mm; minimum height of the steering wheel from the ground on the platform version 1,256mm; weight without ballast 2,200kg.

But the Rex3 F Series acquires its most obvious competitive advantage in versatility. This starts from the Low Profile cab option – Best in Class in the conventional category – which has a 1.16m wide single-shell structure at the base being reduced to 0.86m at roof level, for a minimum overall height from the ground of 1.87m, while ensuring respect for the foliage and comfort for the operator. This last factor becomes evident when looking at the wide door opening for easier accessibility, the tilting steering wheel, the multifunction dashboard, the absence of levers on the central tunnel, the air conditioning circuit and the optional rear camera. The cab offers maximum visibility in lateral operations, on sloping terrain and in greenhouse crops. Handling and ease of use are also found in the factory-fitted option of the front hitch, with a maximum capacity of 1,000kg, and in the under-cab chassis geometry specifically designed for the installation of various central equipment.

Designed for professionals working in vineyards and orchards, the hydraulic circuit delivers 30 litres/min for steering and 50 litres/min for control valves, up to 3 with the possibility to bring one outlet also at the front, in addition to supporting the rear hydraulic hitch featuring mechanical control and ELS (Ergonomic Lift System), with anti-dumping system and a capacity of an improved 2,700kg.

Versatility and comfort make it a tractor built around the operator’s needs: the driveline operates by mechanical reverse shuttle and offers, with creeper, 16 forward and 16 reverse gears in a speed range from 0.4 to 40km/h. The front axle with electro-hydraulic engagement is produced in Argo Tractors plants and offers a steering angle of 55°. The 20-inch rear wheels (for GE version) and 24-inch rear wheels (for F versions) are equipped with Waffle-type rims designed to minimise vibration, thus maximising comfort when travelling on the road with equipment in tow, also thanks to the maximum allowed weight of 4,000kg.

Such an overview is completed by its perfect compatibility with Landini’s fleet management protocol.

The Rex3 F Series can in fact be fitted with Landini Fleet Management system, which guarantees telemetry data, remote diagnostics, efficient integration with the after-sales system, a direct connection with the service department and a reduction in downtime for maintenance, as well as a preferential lane for the operator to maximise farm operativeness.

Source: Landini

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