AS-Motor offers solutions for viticulture
Previously achieved by hard manual labour, the cultivation and maintenance of vineyards has been significantly improved by AS-Motor’s slope technology.
Vineyard cultivation is one of the oldest agricultural practices in human history. Thus viticulture is not only a cultural tradition in many regions, it has also become an important way of life. Sustainable viticulture has become increasingly important in recent decades – permanent plant cover improves soil structure and reduces nitrate leaching and erosion danger. Starting with the production of the first AS-Motor Allmäher in 1961, AS-Motor’s mowers are uniquely suited to tackle the steep slopes and thick growth of vineyards.
Application examples
Permanent and seasonal plant cover
Vineyards are cultivated on slopes in many of the world’s winegrowing regions. AS-Motor offers various solutions for slope mowing, including mulching devices for areas with particularly thick growth.
Mulching technology provides the robust cutting power needed to shred thick vines and prunings, returning the mulch to the soil as absorbable nutrients.
Today, I finally got to pick up my AS 940 Sherpa XL B&S from Leinweber Motorgeräte in Neuhof. From the initial consultation on site to the final briefing, I received professional support throughout. The demonstration directly on my orchard meadow was particularly positive – all my questions were answered immediately. Despite the slightly marshy terrain, the Sherpa impressed with its low weight and powerful propulsion. The optional accessories with LED lighting and snow plow were another plus point for me: now I can reliably clear snow from my large yard in winter.
– Volker D
With the AS 901 flail mower I mow the grass and vine prunings between rows at the same time. This means less work cutting and no need for herbicides.
– Martin Gehauf (Farmer and winemaker, Freyburg, Germany)
We avoid chemical pest control and excessive fertilization in our vineyard… We have been using the AS 21 and AS 28 mowers for years. The three-wheel mowers are ideal very agile and cut through tall grass outstandingly well... We mow our slopes with the 2-stroke, so that there is no problem with engine lubrication. With six horsepower the engine from AS is just great and has a lot of power.
– Michael Horlacher (hobby gardener and hobby winemaker from Stuttgart, Germany)
Categories
Flower meadows
Flower meadows are structurally rich habitats that are extremely important for insects, wild bees, and species that depend on flowers. The key is not to mow frequently, but to cut at the right time. Before the flowering phase, the vegetation can quickly reach heights of 30–40 cm. After that, maintenance is carried out at longer intervals, usually once or twice a year.
This form of extensive use requires machines that can safely cut tall, heterogeneous vegetation without putting unnecessary strain on the area. Clean cuts, controlled deposition, and an adapted driving style are essential for preserving plant populations and enabling regeneration.
High meadow grass
Extensively used meadows such as orchards, compensation areas, or roadside greenery are deliberately mowed only once or twice a year. The vegetation reaches heights of 60 to over 100 cm and forms dense, structurally rich stands.
This form of maintenance serves to keep the area open and suppress woody plants, not to maintain the lawn. Machines with high throughput, uniform cutting performance, and controlled deposition of the cut material are required. This is the only way to efficiently manage large amounts of biomass without overloading the area or damaging the soil and vegetation.
Mulching
Mulching is a process by which grass cuttings are shredded several times into a fine mulch, which then remains on the surface as natural fertiliser. Special mulching blades with a double cutting plane and a circular mulching unit are used on ornamental lawns, while cross-blade systems or flail mowers are primarily used in high grass.
Uneven terrain
Animal burrows, anthills, mole hills and water channels cause uneven terrain. Several AS-Motor machines have high ground clearance, all-wheel drive and limited slip differential, along with appropriately studded field tyres, for uneven terrain.
Slopes
AS-Motor engineers machines with high ground clearance, steep ramp angles, low overall weight, optimal weight distribution and a low centre of gravity to perform on slopes.
All-wheel drive
All-wheel drive not only ensures performance on inclines over 30 degrees, but also a high level of safety for travel downhill. All-wheel drive delivers propulsion in wet conditions and on uneven terrain – even if the wheels of one axle no longer have traction.
