New Holland Agriculture shows machinery concepts for wine regions

New Holland Agriculture showed an XPN concept, part of its XPower family of electric weeding solutions, designed for narrow vineyards. The concept was integrated in the New Holland Braud 9000N carrier and made its first public appearance at the SITEVI 2021 exhibition in France. The new solution builds on the experience gained with the XPower XPS weed control system for wide vines over the past two years.

The XPN concept uses a generator powered by the load sensing hydraulic circuit of the carrier. It is also equipped with a new applicator specifically suited to the requirements of the narrow vineyards in terms of weeding width and adaptability to the types of vines encountered, such as in the Champagne region of France.

Consistent with New Holland’s multipurpose approach, the XPN will be integrated in the carrier, with the installation of two pairs of applicators on the machine’s original tool holders in combination with the use of its IntelliView IV interface.

The use of Zasso’s XPower non-chemical weed management technology, which New Holland said is respectful of the soil and the vine and carbon footprint make the XPN a true alternative to chemical herbicides and tillage for weed control.

teams at the AgXtend brand of CNH Industrial as well as New Holland Braud and Zasso are working together on the project, with the aim of being ready for a market launch for the 2023 season.

Concept tractor

The company also introduced a concept machine during SITEVI 2021, an exhibition for wine, olive, fruit and vegetable production that was held Nov. 30 through Dec. 2 in France.

The Straddle Tractor Concept was created to meet the requirements of the narrow vineyards typical of wine growing regions such as Champagne, Médoc and Burgundy in France. These operations produce high-quality, high-value wines from grapes grown in rows less than 1.5 m wide, often on steep slopes and on small vineyards. In these conditions, grapes are picked by hand and most of the vine maintenance work is done by means of a tractor travelling overhead of the rows.

To develop the Straddle Tractor Concept, New Holland partnered with Pininfarina, opening a new era for the narrowest vineyards. Pininfarina developed a futuristic design around a high-comfort, high-safety cab, and ready for electric traction according to the New Holland Clean Energy Leader strategy.

Inspired by the shape of a champagne flute – tall, wide at the top and tapering down at the bottom – the style of the front of the machine is a reference to the wine growers that are its main customer base. This shape, together with wraparound glass, also provides the operator with exceptional visibility on the vines and all around, said the company. The overall exterior design stands out for the flowing and dynamic automotive-inspired lines. The exposed frame confers a sporty look. The shape of the cab, angled in the direction of travel, adds to the vehicle’s dynamism.

The interior, which would be easily accessible through a large single door and rotating seat, offers a comfortable environment. The use of wood contributes to the cab’s plush, luxurious feel, and links again to the customer’s business linking to the wood of wine barrels.

“Our ground-breaking straddle tractor concept offers a glimpse into the future that premium wine growers with narrow, high-value vineyards can aspire to,” said New Holland Brand President Carlo Lambro. “It is the result of New Holland’s long history of excellence in vineyards across the world, combined with the inspired innovation of legendary design house Pininfarina. It is testament to New Holland’s constant striving to develop new solutions to meet the most specialized needs of our customers and foretells a further expansion of our extensive offering – the widest in the industry.”

Founded in 1930, Pininfarina has evolved from an artisan concern to an international service group that has long been associationed with such brands as Ferrari.

“We have worked as a joint team with New Holland to conceive the Straddle Tractor, a concept capable of offering a completely new experience,” said Kevin Rice, Pininfarina Chief Creative Officer. “We have leveraged our skills gained in more than 90 years of car design combining a unique and distinctive style and top-level performance, always keeping the human experience at the center. In New Holland, we have found a partner who shares our values and our innovation-oriented approach; we are confident that the new concept will be able to mark the future direction for this sector.”