Fruiting walls of Fuji. Published January 15, 2011 The Institute of Agriculture at San Michele All’Adige looks for ways that orchardists and vineyardists can farm more efficiently and reduce labor needs. Following an intensive thinning study by the institute, more than 40 mechanical thinners are now in operation in Italian orchards. But their latest focus is ­trying to design an orchard system that could be completely mechanized. It takes an annual average of 240 hours per acre to produce apples in the South Tyrol province of Trentino, according to Alberto Dorigoni of the research institute and school at San Michele. […]