Grape harvesting mechanisation in the 1960s was a gamechanger for Australian growers and winemakers. But with the benefits of faster, more efficient harvesting came the downside of MOG (matter other than grapes) – an issue that continues to be a headache for the sector more than half a century later.
The past few decades have seen significant innovation for mechanical harvesters. Grape growers now have a range of options for on-board ‘selective’ harvesting capability. This technology allows growers to remove most of the MOG from their picks through a series of sorting mechanisms, delivering clean fruit to the winery.
There are three distinct advantages in delivering MOG-free picks: wine quality and stylistic uplift, reduced costs in transporting MOG to and from the winery, and winery throughput optimisation. The challenge for many producers, including the larger vertically integrated wine companies, is understanding who in the supply chain pays for this capability. Onboard selective harvesters are expensive, although many contractors and third-party harvesting services now offer these units as part of their fleet capability.
Aussie Wine Group (AWG) are an Adelaide-based company who have developed alternative selective harvesting technologies. AWG’s MOG-removal units are stand-alone systems that can be deployed on harvest bin trailers, or retrospectively installed onto the boom arm of harvesters. Both types of installation allow growers to use existing harvesters, but gain the benefits of clean, MOG-free picks. Importantly this technology is an affordable alternative to on-board selective harvesters. AWG have developed two variations of the unit, a Premium unit that is designed to handle smaller quantities of fruit, but focuses on retaining berry integrity, and a high volume unit that allows growers to process large crops without compromising the speed of the harvest.
