Inter-row tool

Objectives of tillage before planting

Objectives before planting

The objectives are very different depending on whether they are set before planting or after planting.
Before planting, we want to put the vine plant in optimum conditions for its development. The aim is to loosen the soil without creating beds that hinder root development, to bury fertilisers and soil improvers and, in some cases, to remove roots that could transmit root rot and limit the proliferation of nematodes.
soil management before planting

Two main types of equipment are used

equipment that performs traditional cutting and turning work, i.e. the plough
equipment that creates break lines in the soil, known as decompactors

Plough or decompactor, what's the best choice?

The plough used before planting is a single-body ripper plough, which can work to a depth of 60 centimetres. By cutting up and turning over the soil, it can bring undesirable layers of soil to the surface and disrupt the soil's microbial life. Organic matter and fertilisers are often buried too deep, out of reach of the young vine when it needs them most. On the other hand, this extensive turning over brings roots to the surface , where they are eliminated to limit the risk of rot developing. Another negative aspect is that in clay-rich soils, the passage of the ploughshare smoothes the soil, compacting it and forming a sole. The decompactor consists of a frame to which straight tines (subsoiler type) or curved tines (riper type) are attached, and creates broken lines in the soil without forming a sole. This type of equipment, which does not turn the soil over, does not allow the roots to be brought to the surface. With the decompactor, the root system can be established more quickly, especially as decompaction is followed by medium tillage, which puts amendments and fertilisers at the root level of the young plant.

Objectives of tillage after planting

Objectives after planting

After planting, the main objective of traditional tillage was to control weeds, which become entangled in the stock and compete with the vines. This mechanical weeding technique (as opposed to chemical weeding) was for a long time the only one used. The work carried out after planting also has other objectives: to form furrows to improve water drainage in winter, to protect the grafting bead in the event of intensive cold, and to bury the soil improvers and maintenance fertilisers. When vines are not cultivated, a new form of soil cultivation is introduced: decompacting between rows, with the aim of recreating porosity in soil compacted by the repeated use of heavy machinery.
tillage after planting

There are many technical solutions for controlling the development of weeds, but to choose the right equipment, a number of factors need to be taken into account:

the vineyard management method
work objectives
the nature of the soil
weather conditions
the characteristics of the tools.
the nature of the weeds

Different types of tool used after planting

Tools are classified into different categories according to their mode of action:

ploughs
tine tools
disc tools
rollers
animated inter-row tools

The objectives of grass cover

Establishing and maintaining plant cover

Plant cover is sometimes necessary for a number of reasons:

agronomic, by allowing natural decompaction and improving soil stability, stimulating biological activity, or creating a green manure crop
practical, by ensuring good bearing capacity during mechanical operations, limiting erosion phenomena, etc

The plant cover can be maintained either by mowing or by pinching the vegetation with a special roller.

Different types of tool are used to establish and maintain plant cover

seed drills
inter-row and inter-seed mowing equipment
chopping rollers
thermal weeding

Summary table of soil-working tools

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