MECHANIZATION OF CROWN PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES

The descriptions and technical characteristics of specialized technical means intended for cutting the crown of trees in orchards, developed by the Federal Research Horticultural Center, are given. One of the most important parts of a fruit plantation care system is the tree pruning. This is one of the most important operations for orchard care, which regulates the growth and fruiting trees. Pruning takes 12–15 % of the total labor costs for maintenance work. In order to increase productivity, quality and facilitate labor on pruning perennial plantations, the Federal Research Horticultural Center has designed an ASV-8 unit for the care of orchards, vineyards and berry fields, for ornamental plantings (using pneumatic pruners), for mechanization of the processes of detailed pruning and removal of overgrowth in orchards. The use of ASV-8 increases labor productivity in pruning trees by 2.8 times with an annual saving of labor costs of 3682 man-hours and a decrease in reduced costs by 33.3 %. The Federal Research Horticultural Center has designed a block-modular unit for the cultivation of orchards AMS-7, intended for use in agricultural production and can perform the following technological operations: contour pruning of fruit trees in traditional and intensive orchards; shaking off fruits from trees; making holes for trellis posts, fence supports, stakes, etc.; loading and unloading and transportation of containers with fruits, vegetables and root crops, cut branches, pallets, bulk materials and other various cargoes. The unit complete with a contour cutter consists of the following assembly units: a lifting device, which is the basis for hinging all types of equipment: a cutting device for contour pruning of the crown of fruit trees, consisting of two cutting bars for heavy pruning, a front frame with two sliders and a hydraulic system. The introduction of the AMS-7 unit into production will ensure an increase in labor productivity up to 1.8 times, a decrease in direct operating costs up to 40 % and labor costs up to 45 %.