Use of tractors in persimmon, pear and plum production

The versatility of LS's R65 tractors results in well-maintained persimmon, pear and plum orchards, with timely applications and operator comfort.

Heading east, along Rota do Sol, Rodovia RS-453, we went to the town of Vila São Roque, Fazenda Souza District, to visit the Cantelle family and learn about the application of the LS tractor model R65 in persimmon, pear and plum. We were very well received by the Cantelle Castilhos family, made up of parents Antonio Cantelle and Neiva Josefina Scariot Cantelle, daughter Aline Cantelle Castilhos and her husband, Francis Castilhos. The family is native to the area. 15 years ago, Aline and Francis joined their parents' work on the property. During our visit, we found them pruning the persimmon plants and applying systemic copper to control anthracnose, using the LS tractor.

Currently the family manages two orchards, one in Vila São Roque and the other close to their home, a few kilometers away. The total area is ten hectares, of which 7,5 to eight are planted with these three crops. The production system used on the property depends heavily on the family's manual activity. Now is the time for pruning and winter treatments, which last until August. From then on, flowering treatments begin and later thinning, to increase the quality of the fruits. The plum harvest begins in December, which continues for other crops until the end of May and the beginning of June. Although it is a very laborious activity and depends a lot on physical effort, often in cold winter seasons, they are very satisfied with the results of the work and Aline and her husband do not think about abandoning their family work. Irrigation is only used in a persimmon wetting system with water from its own reservoir. In terms of phytosanitary treatments, the crop that requires the most work is pear and the easiest to manage is plum. At harvest, they all require a lot of work, and to harvest the persimmons, an external team helps. Harvesting requires at least two passes and due to the careful handling and pruning of plants, the family is proud that approximately 90% of the harvest is done without ladders. Activity using ladders makes the operation more expensive and many teams do not want to harvest in this condition.

We saw that the activity is well organized, with all procedures recorded in a field notebook and with technical assistance from a trained professional. Even with all the motivation, it is natural for the family to worry, because, in the region, of the 15 years in which Aline and Francis have been involved in the activity, she told us that hail occurred in 12 years, with many losses in production.

In addition to all the care, there is important renovation work, mainly on the plum, which lasts around 15 years, and on replacing lost plants in the persimmon, which is longer-lived, but still requires the replacement of plants that are lost. .

The family has three other tractors from another brand and uses them in other less demanding activities, such as crushing pruning remains and clearing vegetation.

All sales are table-based and the family benefits from having its own storage structure so as not to need to sell during the harvest, when prices are lower. All production is kept in a cold chamber that holds the fruits to be sold outside the state, with better commercial value. 

Anxious to see the LS R65 tractor working, we went to meet Francis, Aline's husband, who was spraying the persimmon plants with a Jacto model Arbus 1000 turbo. They explained to us that the reason for purchasing this tractor was to have dedicated equipment for phytosanitary treatment activities. From the dimensions of the tractor to the options, they were chosen for the particular situation and the main activity, which is the application of various chemical products to protect crops. 

The demonstration of the tractor at work was in charge of Francis who, very communicative, told us that he has been a farmer for 15 years and was previously an industrialist, knowing perfectly the mechanical systems. His main compliment was for the cabin, which he considers to be top-notch. He highlighted the importance of the comfort that the cabin provides for the activity and the quality of the air conditioning. With the pressurized cabin, he can even answer the phone and do without uncomfortable personal protective equipment. One of his concerns was that the presence of the cabin and air conditioning would result in an increase in fuel consumption, so he took some measurements. With the air on and working at 540rpm at the power take-off (TDP), consumption was 4,5 liters per hour, and in conditions where it was possible to work with 750rpm, equivalent to the economical TDP, consumption dropped to 3,5 liters per hour, always with the air conditioning on. This is a value that pays off and returns to the producer, according to Francis. With all this advantage, he can carry out treatments in a single day, increasing the quality of life.

Francis explained to us that in the persimmon tree, the type of inverted cup (or open vessel) conduction makes mechanization very difficult, as it reduces the free space between the rows of plants, for moving the equipment. For this reason, narrow tractors are required, which do not collide with the side branches that invade between the rows. Even the LS R65 had to be narrowed by moving the lights and mirrors. The sprayer was also narrowed by removing and reducing the deflectors, reducing the maximum width. 

It was not possible to hide the satisfaction that the family has with the new tractor. Although it only has 95 hours, after almost a year of use, contentment could be noted for several reasons. According to them, its weight is ideal and the amount of ballast in the front helps with longitudinal stability. The turning radius is infinitely smaller than that of other competitive tractors that exist on the property, and the number of gears and the scaling are ideal for choosing the ideal speed, which depends on the slope and the equipment that is attached. But the most important feature, in Francis' opinion, is the reverser, which allows him to make quick maneuvers with minimal loss of time. He told us that he made calculations and concluded that only by reducing maneuvers he gains an hour a day, compared to the other tractor that was used before acquiring the LS. Finally, he highlighted the power of the engine which is quite suitable for diverse work in such a varied topography. He finds the torque reserve adequate and notes that the tractor's engine speed drops slightly when the sprayer and fan are turned on. As an important option, he mentioned the LS Tech Engine Protection system, which automatically turns off the engine when there is a risk of damage, in the event of water or oil overheating, providing safe operation.

However, he warned that as it is a tractor with greater resources, it is necessary to understand it to adapt it to the job. The producer must understand that there must be criteria to find the correct gear for different jobs. He also mentioned that the presence of radial tires at the rear helped a lot and that the weight/power ratio should be adequate for the operation.

A curiosity caught our attention in this case. The operator does not wear shoes into the cabin. He developed a system for attaching the shoe to the stair step, so that when he enters the cabin, the pair of shoes are stuck to the ladder and will again be used to descend the step. Very ingenious and creative, the system demonstrates the affection with which the tractor is treated by the family. 

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The R65 cab model we found working in the fruit trees. The engine that equips this model is from the LS brand, model L4AL T1-Tier 3. The engine has four cylinders, with 2.621cm3 and 16 valves, with turbocharger, which produces a maximum power of 65hp at 2.500rpm (ISO TR 14396 standard) and maximum torque of 203Nm at 1.600rpm. 

The Synchro Shuttle synchronized transmission offers 32 forward and 16 reverse gears with creeper. The Power Take-Off (TDP), with a power of 58 hp, is independent with electro-hydraulic drive and three speeds, 540/750/1.000 rpm. 

The front axle is mechanically driven. The hydraulic system has a total flow rate of 46,8 liters/minute and the category II three-point coupling system reaches a maximum pressure of 167kgf/cm2, with a lifting capacity of up to 2.100kgf at the ball joint. The remote control is independent, with two remote control valves in the standard version and three as an option with a maximum flow of 31,2 liters/minute.

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