Meccanizzazione dei vigneti allevati a doppia cortina e a cordone libero

The research carried out has wanted to go into the possibility offered by the system of growing of double curtain vineyards (GDC) and in a free cordon referring to mechanization. The research has examined the operations of winter pruning, canopy management (removal of suckers, trimming, defoliation, and shoots positioning) and grape harvesting. The winter pruning was especially monitored through two different levels of mechanization. All the operations have been carried out, both manually and mechanically, comparing the times of working, the quality of the work effected and the engagement of manpower employed. The results have been synthesized under an economic valuation, supposing different levels of the cost of the employed manpower, in order to obtain to judge the suitability on the single interventions and to build a complete and more organic valuation of the proposed kind of work. In the two forms of growing, the mechanization of both the winter pruning and canopy management have respected completely the prefixed technical aims, showing to be a valid way in order both to reduce times and cost of management. For these interventions the purchase of machineries turns out to be suitable also for vineyards of small dimension. Even more evident in both these forms of growing are the economic advantages offered by the mechanized grape harvesting effected by few ill-treatments and wastes of product. The tendency to mechanize completely the interventions of management of the growing cycle of vineyards, can be in the next years both a reason of interest and of a choice in carrying out new installations with both these forms of growing that shown to be a complete expression of synergy between machinery and plant.