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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!
