Advanced mechanization in head crop production

Dr. Raffaele TalaricoCEO DLG Italy

• DLG International is one of the most important

organizations in the global agricultural and

food sectors

• DLG Italy is one of DLG International’s eight

international subsidieries

• Based in Bologna, Italy

• DLG Italy co-organized the Head Crop Special

Show at Intervitis Interfructa Hortitechnica

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Why are we focusing on SALAD?

Most lettuce grown today is used as a vegetable, but a small amount is used in tobacco-free cigarettes

• All types of lettuce may have evolved from a weedy form that was used in ancient Egypt as a source of cooking oil from pressed seeds

• Cultivation appears as early as 2.680 BC

• The primary markets for lettuce were, until the late twentieth century, western Europe and North America

• In the late twentieth century lettuce became important in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Australia, and some countries of South America and Africa

• World production of lettuce and chicory for 2015 was around 30 million tons

Head Crop Special“Italians take the Field – Technology and Innovation in Horticulture”

• First time ever – Live demonstration in a tradeshow hall of the latest technologies

in the horticultural field

• World-class team of four of the leading machinery manufacturers of the sector

• “Made in Italy” experience – made possible by the collaboration of these four

major companies

• Burying

• Harrowing

• Bed-forming

• Sowing

• Transplanting

• Weeding

• Harvesting

Seven processes demonstrated in the Head Crop Special:

Forigo G35-150 Stone Burier

Burying - Forigo G35-150 Stone Burier

Equipment:

• front discs for the cleaning of the tractor’s tracks,

• rotor with a hoe in an opposite rotation to the movement of the machine,

• a rake system for the selection and division on the soil,

• leveling blade with an adjustable height to assure an equal disposition of the selected soil

• couple of posterior wheels and rollers for the regulation of the working depth and the finishing of the surfaces.

Benefits

• excellent clodding of the soil in very hard and clay soils, maintenance and conservation of the structure of the soil and the ability to avoid deep soil compaction

• able to be used for primary tilling as well as building various types of beds for special crops in addition to the tilling of wet soils due to its vibrating rake.

Soil compaction causes production losses up to 50%

Soil tillage in the horticultural sector and itseffects on production: Bed Forming

Soil compaction - the causes

Excessive number of passages

Soil tillage in wet conditions

Improper tractor tires

Poor content of organic matter in the soil

Reduced oxygen content

Lower water infiltration rate

Reduced soil drainageLess micro-organism and

earthworm activity

Less root growth

Soil compaction - the consequences

Example of lettuce roots (Lactuca sativa L.) after washing(samples dated 11/7/2013)

On beds

On flat soil

0,1 m

Bed forming - the proper solution

Better drainage

Better porosity

Better structure

Increased soil temperature in the spring

Forigo F132 Power Harrow

Harrowing - Forigo F132 Power HarrowEquipment:

• oscillating lift arm attachments

• bi-directional ‘Zeus’ System teeth

• roller adjustment with lateral zones - allow downward mobility

• leveling blade with a crank

• adjustable and mobile steel guards

Benefits

• Able to break up large clumps and evenly mix the tilled soil while leveling the land, facilitating its drainage and aeration.

• Avoids deep soil compaction and can be used to create crop beds

• It can be equipped with a fertilizer spreader, irrigation hoses, plastic film laying equipment and greenhouse protection.

Forigo D35 Bed-former

Bed forming - Forigo D35 Bed-former

Benefits:

In-depth and efficient tillage as well as the creation of excellent conditions for sowing and transplanting. The machine performs well on soil with a high level of moisture and is recommended for light soils.

Equipment:

• front and rear power take-off shaft to be front-mounted or to be combined with seeders, fertilization or irrigation equipment

• front discs for the cleaning of the tractor’s tracks and a front rotor with an attachment of special hoes in order to work the soil in depth.

Sowing - Sfoggia Calibra

Benefits:

• The double selection system and the big size of the sowing disc ensure a high sowing precision.

• Disassembly of the machine is not needed to set the row distance.

• Two turbines work separately to ensure a constant volumetric flow rate and pressure.

Transplanting - Sfoggia California

Benefits:

The transplanter CALIFORNIA, suitable for the planting of seedlings with cone or cubic-shaped turfs (seedings), has new improvements as well as a good working quality with a high production per hour (up to 4.000 plants/h per unit).

Weeding - Sfoggia Thema

In addition to mechanical weeding, this machine mixes the superficial layer of soil to facilitate air circulation which in turn interrupts the capillary action, therefore decreasing water evaporation, only possible on non-mulched soil.

Benefits:

• Strong, versatile, light and reliable

• Excellent performance on all soil types

• Ensures safety and long lasting working capacity, more than any other machine in the market

Harvesting - Ortomec 8700 Harvester

The transportation belt is equipped with soft plastic nails to keep the heads in place without damaging them while going up the belt. The harvester head is equipped with sensors for electronic regulation of the cutting level.

Benefits:

Thanks to the special Herbex system, the Ortomec head harvesters are able to harvest the product by loading it on the machine, keeping it in the same position that it was in the soil without touching it, avoiding dirtying and/or damaging the plants.

Argo Landini Rex 100 GTComfortable and ergonomically designed to address specialized needs of modern farming

Argo Landini 5-D Hi ClearIdeal for salad growing because the potential of contact damage and contamination is minimized due to increased clearance

Text and photo sources:

Sfoggia.com

Forigo.it

Ortomec.com

Landini.it

DLG Italia SrlVia di Corticella 184/1040128 Bologna - ITALYTel. +39 051 0068343

info.italia@dlg.org