Harvest time is always a special time.. In the end, it is the reward for many months of work and care.
Furthermore, it is an agricultural activity of high importance in our country, thanks to the quantity and quality of the products obtained from it: wines, cavas...
For all this, we want to dedicate this article to all those people linked to the world of grapes, their harvest and, above all, to those who want to know more to enter the sector.
When is the harvest done?
As it could not be otherwise, we have to start talking about the time of year in which the grapes are harvested. And, as with almost any fruit or crop, there is no exact time when the harvest must be done.
There are many factors that affect at the ideal time, such as temperature, height, humidity, incidence of the sun, characteristics of the land, etc. Therefore, workers in each crop must keep in mind what these weather conditions are and, therefore, the best time to pick the grapes.
In any case, as a general rule, we can say that In Spain it is done between the months of August, September and October, although those in October are not as frequent.
How should the grapes be picked?
Now that we know when we have to do it, let's see what this ancient process consists of and what is the most efficient way to do it today.
1. Review of the fruit
Logically, before starting to pick the grapes, we must do certain things. inspections to check that the fruit is at its perfect point and that everything is going well.
For this task, by the way, UTVs are especially interesting, with which you can pass near the plants comfortably, no matter how steep the terrain, and with a more versatile vehicle than a conventional tractor.
On the other hand, it must be clarified that not only is this visual inspection necessary, but some clusters will have to be collected for several weeks beforehand to analyze them carefully and make the necessary checks. This is very important, because if we have not been able to anticipate possible damage to the plants, harvest time will arrive and there will be no fruit to take advantage of.
2. Collection of the bunches
Here comes the time to “roll up your sleeves” and cut the bunches manually. It may seem like a tedious process that should be automated in some way, but the reality is that grapes are especially delicate fruits and must be treated with great care. For this reason, not only do you have to collect the bunches manually, but you also have to cut the branches with special delicacy so as not to damage the fruit or the plant.
3. Transportation of the grapes
When taking them to the appropriate subsequent treatment place, you must go storing them in boxes delicately, once again, avoiding any weight on them and impacts that will undoubtedly damage the product.
El Terrain DX4 can help you with grape harvesting tasks. Its large storage and efficient diesel engine are the keys to carrying out your daily tasks.
