Paolo Moretto: "I use and will use only and exclusively Martignani. Always. Rather I change my profession."

Motta di Livenza (Treviso). It is here that we find ourselves having a chat with Paolo Moretto, of Azienda Agricola Moretto Paolo. A reality that manages about 100 hectares of vineyards and some hectares of arable land.

Mr. Moretto is a long-time Martignani customer, and we wanted to know a little more about his experience with our sprayers.

We tried a sprayer Martignani Turbo 1 and immediately knew that was what we needed

How did you get to know Martignani?

I met Martignani around 1994/95, a few years after our company was established. At first we were using a conventional sprayer but we soon realized that we needed something with better performance, especially that used less water because we could not use nearly one barrel per hectare (we were working at 1000 lt/h). Through your dealer in the area, Flli Tonello, we tried a sprayer Martignani Turbo1 that worked at 200/300 liters per hectare.

Immediately we knew it was what we needed and bought it. 30 years later, that sprayer, still works great. In fact, it works best of all and we keep it in extreme cases!

It’s not the only sprayer Martignani you have in your house, right?

No no, in 2002 we bought a new Turbo 1 and transformed it a bit and turned it into a TRIS (it was mounted on top of the ‘mutti amos’ cart).

The modification is simple, allowing it to be in silhouette with the barrel (1.80 m.).

Then in 2020 we bought a Martignani Cognac Nebulizer.

In case of flooded fields or extreme mud, for example, we use the one brought in by a lift with a crawler tractor…

What kind of treatments do you do: forward speed, volume…?

We do between 18 and 22 treatments a year. As for speed and volume, it depends a little bit on the machine and the time we are in.

With Turbo 1, we do about 8 km/h, while with Cognac 7 km/h and with TRIS 6/6.5 km/h.

The first two or three treatments we do at 100 liters/h, then we go to 150 liters/h and end at 200 liters/h, which I think is ideal. Then you have to say that the volume of water also depends on when you do the treatment. For example, it is not the same to do it early in the morning than at noon. Because of the temperature values and the humidity.

Some of our customers around at the moment have confirmed to us that after the first few seasons, once you pay for the machine, you can save an average of €250.00 hectare/year. Is this a reliable figure for you as well?

I certainly save in water, time and diesel because working at low and very low volume I have to do much less filling. As far as the product is concerned I do what the technicians tell me and they don’t go for savings but for warranty. What I can definitely point out is that with Martignani you bring home all the grapes.

What do you think are the main advantages of Martignani technology?

Well, before we talk about the advantages, which are many, I have to say that, as far as the three-row is concerned, we found some shortcomings. For example, the lack of versatility when the maneuvering space is a bit small or when the vineyard is not perfectly square and neat. If the vineyard is herringbone or triangle shaped, there are difficulties with your tic-tac-toe. You cannot work with one arm and have to close everything to turn. This represents a considerable loss of time.

Instead, one of the main advantages of the Martignani is simplicity in general. The machine works at very low pressure and everything is very simple. I, for example, made myself a table, with the widths of the vineyard and the forward speed. This way, the algorithm pulls out the right numbers for me, and the machine works with incredible accuracy.

That said, we are delighted and satisfied with the Martignani foggers. It really works. I use and will use only and exclusively Martignani. Always. I would rather change my profession.