Mechanical Pruning of Vines

Introduction

Diagram by Assoc Prof Peter Dry

With increased global market competition, Australia will be required to position itself as a producer of premium quality wine whilst maintaining price points which remain competitive. This will require increased automation of production.

Premium wine production will require not only automation of harvesting but also of pruning. It can be anticipated that the current crude mechanical hedging with 'cleaning up' from time to time will not remain cost effective or quality effective for premium vineyard. There is a requirement for an automation of traditional spur pruning to replace hedging.

The automated spur pruning of premium vines has not been possible previously due to the speed limitations of microprocessors and the availability of effective, inexpensive vision systems combined with recent developments in mecatronic actuators to do the actual pruning. These subsystems are now available. This project requires that the available technology be integrated into a functional spur pruning system using off the shelf components where possible.

The system will be built on the solid foundation of electronic engineering combined with the in-depth knowledge of plant anatomy and physiology developed at the Waite campus. Staged integration with industry users will ensure that the system is practical and meets industry working objectives as well as the scientific objectives. The development of this system will put Australian viticulture in the unique position of having the only such system of its type in the world to assist its drive toward the 2025 vision.