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Ekidna cleans up vineyards
By BEVERLEY PRIDEAUX, GrapeGrowers & Vignerons
Edition 350, 29/09/2008 4:00:03 PM
Click to expand
An early version of the Pellenc Ekidna removes shoots from the underside of the cordon.
PRESTON Vale's version of Pellenc's mechanical shoot-thinning Ekidna has nearly as many protruberances as the mammal itself. As well as the many bristled brushes that have been modified to work in the narrow space between the underside of the cordon and the wire supporting the dripper tube, the machine now delivers herbicide to water shoots growing from the trunk below the dripper tube.

The 252-hectare Preston Vale vineyard was one of the 2006 Western Australian trial sites for Pellenc's Ekidna. Vineyard manager Darren Pulford was confident enough in the machine's performance to purchase it immediately, even though it needed modifying for the Preston Vale site.

""I could see it saving us three times the purchase price in the first season,"" he said.

""The cost of hiring staff to manually remove water shoots on the trunks, sometimes more than once in a season, was high.""

In most vineyards, the Ekidna was being used to shoot-thin along the cordon, and the dripper tubes were low or on the ground. At Preston Vale, its primary task is removing water shoots from the trunks and, for ease of management on the steep, hilly terrain, the dripper tubes are set 30 centimetres above the ground.

The higher dripper tubes meant that the standard Ekidna brushes initially tended to catch either the cordon or dripper wire. Smaller brushes were needed to fit between the underside of the cordon and the dripper wire.

Making the brushes 100 millimetres smaller solved the initial problem, but potentially an additional brush would be needed to remove shoots below the dripper tube if it was to be totally successful.

The option of an additional set of lower brushes was eventually abandoned in favour of a simpler modification.

Trial work in 2007 using Nufarm herbicides Hammer and Supercharge was successful in removing the lower water shoots. Even the extra pass with the tractor and sprayer was still cheaper than manual removal.

But Darren was looking to do it even better.

""We have attached two boom sprays to the Ekidna to apply the herbicide,"" he said.

""Now in one cost-efficient process, it effectively delivers mechanical and chemical shoot removal in a single operation.""

Although the Ekidna has proved its worth at Preston Vale, being low maintenance even on the big vineyard with less-than-ideal terrain, Darren doubts it is suitable for contract work.

""The Ekidna is a great piece of equipment for anyone with a vineyard big enough to justify it, and the ability to modify it to suit,"" he said.

""It is low maintenance – the brushes last a full season even on this vineyard. But because of the variations between vineyards and the Ekidna's fairly specific requirements, I don't think it would be something a contractor could use in its present form.""

Although most vineyards are not in the market for new machinery this year due to industry uncertainty, Preston Vale is continuing with its policy of updating a percentage of its machinery inventory each year.

As well as the modifications to the Ekidna, Darren says the Sylvan Turbomisers are on this year's list for renewal.

Details: Preston Vale, Darren Pulford 08 9732 1008

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