The wine production chain requires various tasks throughout the year, which go hand in hand with the best-known grape harvesting. The commitment on the part of the winemakers is constant and involves the knowledge of the main stages of vineyard management, as well as the specific needs of the different forms of cultivation.
Tying is one of the most important interventions for those who want to obtain a luxuriant production and a quality result with table grapes as well as with grapes for winemaking. This operation has the purpose of regulating the vegetative and productive development of the plants and, although it is often implemented with traditional strategies, it is now supported using efficient battery-powered tools for much faster and more performing results.
Discover the proposals of Campagnola and the importance of using cutting-edge tools, searching for excellence in your vineyard.
When is tying necessary in vineyard?
There are several situations in which tying operations are essential. For example, it may be necessary to fix the permanent shoots of the vine to the bearing structures of the vineyard, or the stakes to the horizontal wires placed along the row. During the summer season, a piling system may also be required for the forms of cultivation with ascending vegetation, also accompanied by a possible positioning of wires and consequent tying of the shoots.
In most forms of espalier farming, tying is required to fix the fruiting branches to the piling system. The so-called long pruning, in fact, involves the removal of most of the one-year-old branches and the selection of a fruiting head and a renewal spur, which must be positioned correctly based on the type of farming to be obtained. In particular, the forms of cultivation with annual renewal of the productive branch require a tying of the noble sprouts immediately after the pruning phase (as it happens, for example, for Guyot, Sylvoz, and so on).
Tying equipment in vineyard
To obtain targeted results in terms of vegetative growth and production efficiency, pruning must be accompanied by careful tying operations, a detail which concretely influences the yield of the vineyard as well as the correct maintenance of the chosen cultivation system.
Tying activities are still carried out almost entirely manually, but a valid help is offered by the most modern equipment, designed to make these operations easier, faster and cheaper, as well as more comfortable and less stressful for the operators.
Electric tying tools, such as NEXI, are one of the essential strategic allies for anyone wishing to reduce times and costs of the intervention, while still obtaining excellent operations. Its introduction into daily activities requires a minimum period of adaptation, which is necessary to acquire the right skill in the use of the tool, but it is an investment that guarantees net savings in terms of working hours, effort and operational results.
NEXI electric tying tool: performance, working autonomy, versatility
NEXI electric tying tool is the result of the experience of Campagnola in the creation of effective and technologically advanced products for vineyard. Offered in kit with two 14.4 V (2.5 Ah) lithium-ion plug-in batteries, NEXI has a total weight of only 1.010 kg and ensures the winegrower maximum movement freedom, as well as precise and quick.operations.
Its extraordinary ergonomics and excellent ease of use make it the tool of choice for carrying out extremely fast and productive seasonal tying interventions. NEXI can be used with branches with a maximum diameter of 25 mm and has 6 different tying modes, which make it a versatile tool to use.
The electric tying tool of Campagnola can reach a speed of 80 operations per minute and allows more than 10,000 ties made with a single recharge cycle. In addition, it can be used with plugged-in battery or with belt battery, connected to the tool by means of the special cable patented in Italy by Campagnola. Thanks to this configuration the total weight of the tool ca be lowered to just 780 grams.
A further plus is the possibility of using the same battery (14.4 V / 16.8 V max and 2.5 Ah) also on STARK M shear, T-CAT M chain pruner and STARBERRY MD2 hook shaker for an interesting saving, when choosing your equipment.
What material can be used for tying?
Over the years the materials used for tying have changed, following both the technical progress of the sector and the needs of the winemakers. In fact, in the selection of the most suitable raw materials for tying in vineyard, economic factors come into play, as well as the habits and subjective choices of the operators.
Some of the traditionally used ties of vegetable origin are wicker, broom branches, tips of some rushes, cane leaves, jute threads and raffia. The artificial ones, on the other hand, include metal or plastic ties, rubber rings, metal hooks and polyethylene tubulars.
Today there is a tendency to use electric tying tools together with ecological, sustainable materials that respect the plant health. Avoiding damage to the branches and reducing the dispersion of polluting materials in vineyard have become essential, and the most innovative strategies make it possible to achieve the goal, while keeping the operational practicality intact.
The range of twist ties that can be used with NEXI offers a solution for every need and includes the standard, the bio-photodegradable and the paper type.
All degrade more or less quickly according to weight of the bunches, quality of the vineyard wire, proximity to the sea, irrigation and climatic conditions. The standard twist tie lasts about 10-12 months, the bio-photodegradable one 8-10 months and its special photodegradable additive accelerates its deterioration. Both types of twist tie are offered for NEXI in 110 m reels.
The paper twist tie, which can be purchased in 130 m reels, tends to last 6-9 months and its material naturally retains humidity, favoring its spontaneous degradation.
The performance of NEXI and its versatility, therefore, make it an indispensable tool in vineyard (but not only) and its aim is to carry out precise tying operations in every context of use.