Plant Gene and Trait 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 113-122 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 115 found that the wines made from machine-picked grapes show little difference in taste and physicochemical indicators compared with those picked manually (Ebeler et al., 2016; Couto et al., 2022). However, mechanical harvesting is not without its drawbacks. The equipment is relatively expensive and requires regular maintenance. If used improperly, it may cause damage and dropping of grape berries, and even mix in some impurities. This situation is more likely to occur in plots with inadequate orchard management or complex terrain (Da Costa Neto et al., 2019). Mechanization also has requirements for terrain. For example, orchards with too steep slopes are not very suitable for mechanical harvesting. The cost will increase and the efficiency is difficult to guarantee (Strub et al., 2020; Sanjay et al., 2024). Figure 1 Field experiments and equipment used (Adopted from Burg et al., 2021) Image caption: (a) Trial plots; (b) Tractor Same Frutteto3 100, trailed grape harvester Pellenc8090 SP and detailed picture of thresher mechanism (Adopted from Burg et al., 2021) 3.3 Interaction with vineyard architecture To improve the effect of mechanical harvesting, the design of the orchard must be reasonable. Vineyards suitable for mechanical operations generally have relatively regular row and plant spacing, facilitating the passage and operation of machines (Da Costa Neto et al., 2019; Coşkun, 2023). The shape of the plot, row orientation, plant type and trellis height, all these factors will affect the harvesting efficiency and fruit damage rate. For example, regular plots and appropriate trellel heights can reduce fruit loss and make the harvest smoother (Da Costa Neto et al., 2019; Coşkun, 2023). In plots with steep slopes, mechanical operations are more difficult and costly. Even in some places, machines are completely unusable (Strub et al., 2020). 4 Integration of High-Density Systems with Mechanical Harvesting 4.1 Planting geometry and harvester compatibility In high-density vineyards, the grapevines are planted relatively densely, which poses higher requirements for mechanical harvesting equipment. The design of row spacing and plant spacing should not only allow the machine to pass through smoothly, but also ensure that the grapevines have sufficient space to grow and the quality of the fruits should not be poor. Studies have found that if the plant spacing is too small, for example, only 0.91 meters, it will cause the grapevines to grow too vigorously and have too dense branches and leaves. This not only affects ventilation and light, but may also lead to fewer fruit clusters, smaller fruit grains, and even withering of fruit stems, and the harvest efficiency will also decline (Keller and Mills, 2021). Therefore, for mechanical harvesting to play a role in high-density planting, the row spacing and plant spacing must be selected appropriately, which not only increases the yield per unit area but also ensures the smooth operation of the machinery. 4.2 Row spacing and machine maneuverability The efficiency of mechanical harvesting largely depends on the row spacing design of the vineyard. Although a narrower row spacing can produce more grapes, it also makes the machine more difficult to operate, reduces the
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