A vine or cane pruning apparatus, comprising a toothed wheel for guiding the pruning apparatus over vegetation in use, the wheel comprising a multiplicity of generally radially projecting teeth distributed about the periphery of the wheel for catching vegetation between gaps of the teeth, and wherein the wheel rotates by consequence of its engagement with the vegetation and vine or cane posts as the apparatus is driven along a row of vines or canes for pruning; and a driven rotary cutter mounted co-axially to the wheel for cutting vegetation caught between the teeth, the cutter being configured such that its effective cutting area falls within the diameter of the wheel.

A machine for pulling off plant branches, in particular vine branches, of tying wires to which they cling by tendrils comprising a combination of means capable to extract the branches downwards. The combination of means comprises a (resiliently pivoted) pressing member and a pulling member facing the pressing member. In operation, the pulling member is moving so that its surface oriented towards the pressing member moves downwards. Cut-off branches are pressed on this surface by the pressing member by a force sufficient that the branches are dragged downwardly along and are forcibly detached from the tying wires. The downward removal corresponds to the about V-shaped ramifications of the plant, so that it is effected more easily and without obstruction by the ramifications which tend to get caught by the tying wires when removal occurs upwards. A branch not cut-off and tied to the trellis wire withstands the pressing member provided a suitable adjusted resilient pressing force is selected, supported by the pressing member consisting of a resilient material like an elastomer. Such a branch will not suffer any contact, or at least a minimal contact only, with the pulling device.

An apparatus for tending to rows of vines is presented which may be pulled, or driven, between a pair of rows of a vineyard. The apparatus includes implements to tend to the vines on both rows at the same time. The apparatus include a left portion that tends to a left row of vines and right portion that tends to a right row of vines. The portions are attached to the apparatus using linkages that permit the portions to adjust to changes in row spacing or the position of the apparatus between the rows. The apparatus also includes weeder assemblies that weed the ground between the vines while preventing damage to the vines, and a spray device for spraying the vines.

A bush pruning apparatus adapted for use in combination with a tractor or similar vehicle, wherein the apparatus is mounted to the tractor by a frame that allows the position of the cutting blade relative to the bush be pruned to be freely independent of the position or tilt of the tractor, such that changes in elevation or ground surface encountered by the tractor are not transmitted to the cutting blade to adversely affect the height of the cutting blade.

A multipurpose machine for cultivating trees, comprising an inverted U-shape structure that enables the machine to pass over existing trees to carry out pruning, disinfection or fruit picking tasks, provided at the bottom with wheels, driven by at least one motor that autonomously facilitates the movement thereof, and respective upper frames that telescopically couple to each other, being driven by respective cylinders to move the portion of the structure on the right with respect to the one on the left in order to vary the width of the machine. Likewise, the machine has the ability to raise or lower the upper structure of the same to adapt it to the height of the trees to be cultivated.

A detection device for metal stakes in a wire-trained plant-crop hedge having at least one detector configured to generate a detection signal when it passes next to a metal stake of the hedge wherein the metal stake detector has a first and a second metal detector arranged for generating respectively a first and a second measurement signal when they pass next to one of the metal stakes of the hedge. The first and second metal detectors are mechanically secured to each other in movement and arranged for being spaced vertically relative to each other. The detection device has an electronic management unit for the detection signals, configured for, upon detection of a temporal offset between the maximum variation levels of the first and second measurement signals, generating a signal indicating an inclined state of the metal stake.

A pruning machine (12) for pruning vegetation growing on generally horizontal support wires. The pruning machine (12) includes a vertical shaft (22) mounted for rotation and at least one blade assembly (26) mounted on the shaft (22). The blade assembly (26) includes a plurality of blades (30) mounted to rotate with the shaft (22). The shaft (22) is threaded at least in the region where the blade assembly (26) is mounted. The vertical position of the blade assembly (26) on the shaft (22) is adjustable by an adjustment nut (56) which threadably engages the shaft (22) below the blade assembly (26) and which during adjustment, bears against the underneath of the blade assembly (26) so that rotation of the nut (56) upwardly of the shaft (22) raises the blade assembly (26) and rotation of the nut (56) downwardly allows the blade assembly to lower.