Mechanical Pruning of Pecans 37 th Annual Western Pecan Growers Conference Erick Nielsen, President...

Mechanical Pruning of Pecans

37th Annual Western Pecan Growers Conference

Erick Nielsen, President of ENE, Inc.

Pruning Practices

Maintaining the interior fruiting area of the tree by regularly hedging the peripheral canopy

Pruning Practices

Maintaining a margin of fruiting wood on the periphery of the tree by periodically hedging to renew fruitwood

Pruning Practices

“Angle” or “roof” topping of pecans is also being done to manage the height of the tree to allow adequate light in the orchard.

Consider: How far off the trunk?

How high?

How often?

Geographical area

Consider: Soil type

Variety

Spacing

Age & health of the orchard

Mechanical Pruning Equipment

Double sickle bar

Rotary

Straight Bar

Double Sickle Bars Tractor mounted

6” sickle sections

12’-14’ cutting swath

Cuts up to 1 ½” diameter wood

Double Sickle Bars Hedges up to 36’

Roof tops up to 24’

Slow, 2 MPH +/-

Highly maneuverable

Very little reach

Double Sickle Bars Effective in young trees/new growth

Low maintenance

Sickle sections are cheap!

$20k ready-to-mount

Purchase, rent, or lease

Double Sickle Bar

Tangeman (20’)

Double Sickle Bar

Vamco (14’)

Double Sickle Bar

Gillison (12’)

Rotary Machines Single or double boom styles

Tractor mounted or a complete unit

2 to 5 saw blades

24” to 38” diameter saw blades

Rotary Machines Up to 24’ cutting swath

Cuts up to 10” diameter wood

Hedges up to 53’

Roof tops up to 46’

Best reach of all machines

Rotary Machines Speed: 1-5 MPH

Clears brush effectively

Caution: wood can get caught in rotation

Multiple blades=multiple chances to cut wood

Rotary Machines Higher maintenance

Saw maintenance=expensive

Ready-to-mount kit: $40k Complete unit: $125k-$190k

Purchase, lease, commercial companies

Rotary Machine

TOL (20’)

Rotary Machine

TOL (24’)

Straight Bar Machines Single or double boom

Complete unit or mounted on rough terrain cranes, lifts, or excavators

4-8 saw blades

30”-48” diameter saw blades

Cutting swaths of up to 27’

Straight Bar Machines Hedging up to 75’

Roof topping up to 46’

Capable of cutting 12” diameter wood

Speeds vary: 2 – 10 MPH

Handles large cuts effectively

Straight Bar Machines Higher maintenance

Saw sharpening is critical!

Costs: from $20k to $200k

Available through commercial companies or can be custom built

Straight Bar Machine

Leydig-double boom (24’)

Straight Bar Machine

Leydig-double boom (16’)

Straight Bar Machine

Nielsen (23’)

Straight Bar MachineFICO (20’ +)

Available Equipment

Baker, Mike (Visalia, CA) ENE, Inc. (Orland, CA) Gillison’s Variety Fabrication, Inc.

(Benzonia, MI) It-Hulls / Ron Kaiser (Jackson, CA) Kimball Toppers, Inc. (Visalia, CA)

Manufacturers / Commercial CompaniesInvolved in California Industry

Available Equipment

Maragliano, Rober (Thornton, CA) Don Pellum Topping (Stockton, CA) Peltzer Enterprises, Inc. (Visalia, CA) Premier (Exeter, CA)

Manufacturers / Commercial CompaniesInvolved in California Industry

Available Equipment

TOL, Inc. (Tulare, CA) Tri L (Visalia, CA) VAMCO, Ltd, Inc. (Lindsey, CA)

Manufacturers / Commercial CompaniesInvolved in California Industry

Options for Pecan Growers Utilize a commercial company

Rent/lease/purchase a machine

from a manufacturer

Have a machine custom designed

Build your own machine

Utilize a commercial company Who’s in your area? (lower fees/better

Scheduling

Reasonable cost per acre

No capital investment in equipmentor operators

Rent/lease/purchase a machine from a manufacturer

Price

Availability of parts andservice

Availability and quality ofoperators

Maintenance of sawsand machine

Rent/lease/purchase a machine from a manufacturer

Seasonality of work

Cost per acre worked

Go in together with a groupof growers

Potential for doing localcommercial work

Have a machine customdesigned for you

Cost prohibitive?

Request for adjustments orchanges to be made toexisting designs

Build your own machine

Not recommended

“Buy” the experience insteadof reinventing the wheel

Summary Identify your needs

Consider specific pruning

practices

Consider available equipment

Come to your own conclusions!