Articles
Innovative machinery for asparagus cultivation
Article number
1376_20
Pages
141 – 148
Language
English
Abstract
An appropriate mechanization is required to improve asparagus cultivation and to reduce production costs.
This article describes three innovative machines developed by Officine Mingozzi to improve cultivation techniques and reduce labour requirements.
The first machine is a soil mixer used to till the soil in depth (75 cm) before planting to promote root growth.
The machine can incorporate large quantities of organic matter, previously distributed along the row, into the soil profile.
The machine has a horizontal rotor, equipped with 12 tilling hoes, rotating slowly to till a strip of soil, 100 cm wide and 75 cm deep.
The second machine is an innovative transplanter that facilitates the planting of asparagus crowns.
This machine requires 4 operators to perform the following operations: open the furrow, lay the dripline, plant the crowns, close the furrow.
The third group comprises three flaming machines that use heat obtained by LPG combustion to control weeds and burn crop residues: a broadcast flamer for weeding during the harvesting phase; an intra-row flamer to selectively remove weeds along the ferns during vegetation; a combined machine with a shredding apparatus coupled to a flaming unit to remove and burn crop residues in winter.
The optimal operating parameters were established in field tests.
The soil mixer requires a forward speed between 800 and 1,200 m h‑1 and a 100-120 kW tractor.
The organic matter is uniformly incorporated into the soil without creating a tillage hardpan.
The transplanter requires a 55-70 kW tractor, achieving a work capacity between 3,000 and 4,000 crowns h‑1. The crowns are evenly planted, soil compaction is reduced, work hours are reduced.
The flaming machinery effectively controls weeds during harvest and vegetation, with optimal work parameters between 5 and 4 km h‑1, respectively.
The combined shredder/flamer removes crop residues effectively in a single pass at 3 km h‑1.
This article describes three innovative machines developed by Officine Mingozzi to improve cultivation techniques and reduce labour requirements.
The first machine is a soil mixer used to till the soil in depth (75 cm) before planting to promote root growth.
The machine can incorporate large quantities of organic matter, previously distributed along the row, into the soil profile.
The machine has a horizontal rotor, equipped with 12 tilling hoes, rotating slowly to till a strip of soil, 100 cm wide and 75 cm deep.
The second machine is an innovative transplanter that facilitates the planting of asparagus crowns.
This machine requires 4 operators to perform the following operations: open the furrow, lay the dripline, plant the crowns, close the furrow.
The third group comprises three flaming machines that use heat obtained by LPG combustion to control weeds and burn crop residues: a broadcast flamer for weeding during the harvesting phase; an intra-row flamer to selectively remove weeds along the ferns during vegetation; a combined machine with a shredding apparatus coupled to a flaming unit to remove and burn crop residues in winter.
The optimal operating parameters were established in field tests.
The soil mixer requires a forward speed between 800 and 1,200 m h‑1 and a 100-120 kW tractor.
The organic matter is uniformly incorporated into the soil without creating a tillage hardpan.
The transplanter requires a 55-70 kW tractor, achieving a work capacity between 3,000 and 4,000 crowns h‑1. The crowns are evenly planted, soil compaction is reduced, work hours are reduced.
The flaming machinery effectively controls weeds during harvest and vegetation, with optimal work parameters between 5 and 4 km h‑1, respectively.
The combined shredder/flamer removes crop residues effectively in a single pass at 3 km h‑1.
Publication
Authors
R. Tomasone, C. Cedrola, M. Mingozzi, L. Trentini, M. Pagano
Keywords
Asparagus officinalis, soil tillage, transplanting, flame treatments, weeding, crop residue, organic production, mechanization
Groups involved
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