1. Mechanical Pruning of Pecans
Erick Nielsen, President of ENE, Inc.
37th Annual Western Pecan Growers Conference

2. Pruning Practices
Maintaining the interior fruiting area of the tree by regularly hedging the peripheral canopy

3. Pruning Practices
Maintaining a margin of fruiting wood on the periphery of the tree by periodically hedging to renew fruitwood

4. Pruning Practices
“Angle” or “roof” topping of pecans is also being done to manage the height of the tree to allow adequate light in the orchard.

5. Consider: How far off the trunk? How high? How often?
Geographical area

6. Consider:
Soil type
Variety
Spacing
Age & health of the orchard

7. Mechanical Pruning Equipment
Double sickle bar
Rotary
Straight Bar

8. Double Sickle Bars Tractor mounted 6” sickle sections
12’-14’ cutting swath
Cuts up to 1 ½” diameter wood

9. Double Sickle Bars Hedges up to 36’ Roof tops up to 24’
Slow, 2 MPH +/-
Highly maneuverable
Very little reach

10. Double Sickle Bars Effective in young trees/new growth Low maintenance
Sickle sections are cheap!
$20k ready-to-mount
Purchase, rent, or lease

11. Double Sickle Bar
Tangeman (20’)

12. Double Sickle Bar
Vamco (14’)

13. Double Sickle Bar
Gillison (12’)

14. Rotary Machines Single or double boom styles
Tractor mounted or a complete unit
2 to 5 saw blades
24” to 38” diameter saw blades

15. Rotary Machines Up to 24’ cutting swath Cuts up to 10” diameter wood
Hedges up to 53’
Roof tops up to 46’
Best reach of all machines

16. Rotary Machines Speed: 1-5 MPH Clears brush effectively
Caution: wood can get caught in rotation
Multiple blades=multiple chances to cut wood

17. Rotary Machines Higher maintenance Saw maintenance=expensive
Ready-to-mount kit: $40k
Complete unit: $125k-$190k
Purchase, lease, commercial companies

18. Rotary Machine
TOL (20’)

19. Rotary Machine
TOL (24’)

20. Straight Bar Machines Single or double boom
Complete unit or mounted on rough terrain cranes, lifts, or excavators
4-8 saw blades
30”-48” diameter saw blades
Cutting swaths of up to 27’

21. Straight Bar Machines Hedging up to 75’ Roof topping up to 46’
Capable of cutting 12” diameter wood
Speeds vary: 2 – 10 MPH
Handles large cuts effectively

22. Straight Bar Machines Higher maintenance Saw sharpening is critical!
Costs: from $20k to $200k
Available through commercial companies or can be custom built

23. Straight Bar Machine
Leydig-double boom (24’)

24. Straight Bar Machine
Leydig-double boom (16’)

25. Straight Bar Machine
Nielsen (23’)

26. Straight Bar Machine
FICO (20’ +)

27. Available Equipment Baker, Mike (Visalia, CA) ENE, Inc. (Orland, CA)
Manufacturers / Commercial Companies
Involved in California Industry
Baker, Mike (Visalia, CA)
ENE, Inc. (Orland, CA)
Gillison’s Variety Fabrication, Inc.
(Benzonia, MI)
It-Hulls / Ron Kaiser (Jackson, CA)
Kimball Toppers, Inc. (Visalia, CA)

28. Available Equipment Maragliano, Rober (Thornton, CA)
Manufacturers / Commercial Companies
Involved in California Industry
Maragliano, Rober (Thornton, CA)
Don Pellum Topping (Stockton, CA)
Peltzer Enterprises, Inc. (Visalia, CA)
Premier (Exeter, CA)

29. Available Equipment TOL, Inc. (Tulare, CA) Tri L (Visalia, CA)
Manufacturers / Commercial Companies
Involved in California Industry
TOL, Inc. (Tulare, CA)
Tri L (Visalia, CA)
VAMCO, Ltd, Inc. (Lindsey, CA)

30. Options for Pecan Growers
Utilize a commercial company
Rent/lease/purchase a machine
from a manufacturer
Have a machine custom designed
Build your own machine

31. Utilize a commercial company
Who’s in your area? (lower fees/better
Scheduling
Reasonable cost per acre
No capital investment in equipment
or operators

32. Rent/lease/purchase a machine from a manufacturer
Price
Availability of parts and
service
Availability and quality of
operators
Maintenance of saws
and machine

33. Rent/lease/purchase a machine from a manufacturer
Seasonality of work
Cost per acre worked
Go in together with a group
of growers
Potential for doing local
commercial work

34. Have a machine custom designed for you
Cost prohibitive?
Request for adjustments or
changes to be made to
existing designs

35. Build your own machine
Not recommended
“Buy” the experience instead
of reinventing the wheel

36. Summary Identify your needs Consider specific pruning practices
Consider available equipment
Come to your own conclusions!