Written by Vladimir Baulin

This is a summary of the meeting held on 31 March 2023 and organized by Celler Cooperatiu la Granada which belongs to the group CEVIPE and Andreu Piñol, viticultor in Pla del Penedès in Penedes region located in Catalonia, within a collaborative initiative to share knowledge and experience between farmers community regarding regenerative agriculture.

The vineyards are located in a semi-arid region with little rainfall, requiring machines to function under adverse conditions.

These vineyards are certified organic and comprise over 40 hectares of land. In recent years, the vineyards have been managed in a more environmentally sustainable manner, with a focus on regenerative or conservation agriculture practices. The owner has collaborated with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia on research and development projects. This farm is a pioneer in the use of autonomously-controlled variable dosing liquid fertilizer applied to the vineyard soil, based on maps generated from satellite and drone data, using a console from a company Topcon for machine management.

The owner of that organic farm has worked with Tallers Vila of Santa Coloma de Queralt to develop specialized machinery for the management of cover crops in dry-farmed vineyards: high-speed harrow, weed-removing roller, lawn aerator and direct-seed planter.

Rapid harrow

A tractor with rapid harrow attachment is used in agriculture for quickly and efficiently preparing soil for planting by breaking up clumps, leveling the ground, and incorporating crop residues.

Weed-removing roller

This roller is utilized for the purpose of mulching. A distinctive attribute of this roller is its ability to float and conform to the topography of the land, ensuring that the roller maintains consistent contact with the soil surface. Furthermore, the roller’s weight can be easily adjusted in accordance with the varying terrain conditions.

Lawn aerator

In contrast to the subsoilers, the present equipment facilitates soil aeration without perturbing the soil horizons, thereby enabling the retention of the cover crops. The rear roller functions as a depth regulator and assists in recompacting the soil.

Direct-seed planter

The direct-seed planter permits the incorporation of seeds into preexisting vegetation cover without requiring the eradication of the vegetation. This equipment allows for the sowing of seeds directly over a substantial quantity of established grasses, mitigating the risk of damage to the existing plants. The planter exhibits a high degree of accuracy, as it may be adjusted to conform with vigor/yield maps, and is capable of executing variable dosing through the utilization of GPS technology.

Additionally, there are two machines for treatment of soil and vineyards from AMP Sprayers.