Reuse of vine pruning waste (vine shoots) for the production of biofertiliser

Problem statement

Annual pruning of vine shoots produces approximately 800-1500 kg/ha of waste that is difficult to manage, which is normally disposed of by burning (emitting ~2.2 tonnes CO2/ha of burnt prunings into the atmosphere).

Executive summary

The process avoids burning the vine shoots (which involves emissions into the atmosphere and a high risk of fires due to its proximity to forest areas), transforming them into compost to be used as fertiliser and improve the state of the soil, which benefits grape production.

Technology description

Preparatory actions require the definition of the logistics plan, obtaining permits and licenses if necessary and conditioning the transformation area. For this, the plots, location of collection points and location of the composting place are selected. It is recommended to build the transformation area with concrete bed to avoid possible contamination of the soil by leachate. After this, the proposed system integrates the following phases: I. Provisioning: collection of shoots in the plots after the annual pruning. II. Crushing: transfer of shoots to collection points where they are crushed. Depending on the distance to the composting site, the crushing is carried out at collection points or directly at the composting site. III. Transport to the composting site: transfer of the crushed material. IV. Composting process: transformation of pruning waste into compost. V. Distribution of compost: transport of the substrate from the production site to its place of application. VI. Fertilization: application of the resulting compost in the field. Specifically, composting in an open pile in the open air is proposed under thermophilic temperatures (60ºC – 70ºC) for 6 months, producing a product free of pathogens and weeds that is used as an organic amendment.

Market deployment considerations

Minimum amount of 50-100kg of biodegradable material.

Environmental considerations

Rainfall and temperature regime in the region.