Function: TERRAL pruning machines are designed to maintain the plant system of a vineyard During the vegetation cycle, winegrowers regularly use them to cut off vine wood that grows on the sides and top of the vine rows (lopping). The aim of this work is to keep the area underneath the vine clear by removing new branches that may be susceptible to disease.

Use: The pruner is used during the vine’s vegetative development cycle (April to August). It is best to use it on wood (or branches) that are not yet lignified (have not become too hard), i.e. use it on green branches that are still growing. Branch length has no affect on the machine’s performance

How it works: The rotation speed and the sharpness of the knives, combined with the angle of the cutting panels, allows for a clean cut of the vine foliage. The machine’s multiple settings (angle and spacing) allow it to adapt to all types of vineyard.

Hitch: The TERRAL trimmer can only be mounted onto the front of the tractor, to combine trimming with the use of another tool at the rear, such as the TERRAL shredder, or a soil-working tool. It can also be mounted directly onto the rear of the tractor on the 3-point hitch or on a bogie. The single full row trimmer only cultivates every second interrow. This allows for one interrow to be ploughed while the other grassy interrow can be used for driving along. The single full row pendulum trimmer also makes it possible to work on sloping vineyards, which are typical of certain wine-growing regions.

Feed rate: from 6 to 15 km/h depending on how stiff the vines are and how flat the soil is between vine rows.

Memo: The most remarkable feature of this machine is its name! Indeed, depending on the region, the name of this machine is not the same:

• In the great southeastern quarter of France it is an “écimeuse” or “pruning machine”
• In the southwestern and northeastern quarter of France it is a “rogneuse” or “leaf cutter”
• In other regions, such as the Charentes or the Loire, it is a “faucilleuse” or “scythe machine”
• In other regions of France, the terms “écourteuse” and “estrapeuse” are used.