Pruning is a key practice for maintaining an orchard's productivity. However, increasing crop variety heterogeneity, labor shortages, and rising costs make pruning more challenging. The presence of plants that differ in age, vigor, and uniformity makes it difficult to apply a single pruning strategy.
"Those who work in orchards today have to deal with very different situations, even within the same company," explains Fabrizio Bertoluzzo, founder of BFM Italy. The company designs and builds agricultural machinery and exports it worldwide. "In recent years, agriculture has become a more complex field. At the same time, it has become more important for farms to have organized management. However, there is a shortage of workers skilled in this area. Finding qualified personnel for pruning has become challenging, particularly during periods of heightened workloads. This has led many farms and contractors to narrow their operational timeframe, which increases the risk of delays or poor plant management."
© BFM SRL DI BERTOLUZZO FABRIZIO & C.
One of the most critical aspects of mechanized pruning is managing the amount for each height. Using a fixed cutting height does not account for the plants' structural differences and can result in inconsistent agronomic interventions.
© BFM SRL DI BERTOLUZZO FABRIZIO & C.
The BFM CMFF pruning machine is designed for variable cutting heights, compactness, and speed of operation. It can adjust the cutting height according to the structure of the orchard and the productive phase of the plants.
"A machine must adapt to the plants, not the other way around." The variable cutting height reduces the need for manual corrections, optimizing working time without compromising agronomic quality. The result is more uniform pruning and real-time savings, which is particularly important when labor is scarce."
In addition to offering operational flexibility, the CMFF is designed to be compact and safe during transport. This feature is particularly relevant for farms and contractors who frequently move between different plots of land.
"A compact transport design improves road safety, reduces mechanical stress on the structure, and helps preserve the machine over time. Thus, compactness becomes a functional element that contributes to the machine's maintenance as well as to the daily workflow. "These advantages make pruning more predictable, feasible, and economically sustainable," concludes Bertoluzzo.
For more information:
BFM Italy
Via Santo Stefano Roero, 75
12043 Canale (Cuneo) - Italy
+39 0173 970453
[email protected]
bfmitaly.it
