The purpose of this study was to empirically estimate machine and labor costs for mechanization of viticultural processes and to assess the relative effect of mechanization options on viticultural costs. By identifying three external factors that determined the degree of optimal mechanization of three major viticultural processes, we developed a systematic typology of 12 unique vineyard types. To estimate the effects of the factors and processes on production costs, we analyzed the variance of more than 3400 single working time records of five German wine estates across three years with fixed and random effects. Mechanization of general viticultural processes, harvesting, and pruning strongly affected viticultural costs. Minimal pruning provided a cost savings potential of 58% for vineyards that permitted mechanized harvesting. Very steep slopes suffered significant cost disadvantages of up to 164% that could only partially be compensated by mechanization. We identified opportunities for wine producers to improve their economic profitability by increasing viticultural mechanization. The methodological framework developed can be applied to other wine regions with different cost settings and the analysis of big data sets from digitalization of viticulture. The results can aid wine producers and policymakers to choose cost-efficient viticultural systems and provide benchmarks to compare labor intensity.

中文翻译：

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葡萄栽培机械化对工作时间要求和生产成本的影响

本研究的目的是根据经验估计葡萄栽培过程机械化的机器和劳动力成本，并评估机械化选项对葡萄栽培成本的相对影响。通过确定决定三个主要葡萄栽培过程最佳机械化程度的三个外部因素，我们开发了 12 个独特葡萄园类型的系统类型学。为了估计这些因素和过程对生产成本的影响，我们分析了三年内五个德国葡萄酒庄园的 3400 多个单一工作时间记录的方差，其中包含固定和随机效应。一般葡萄栽培过程、收获和修剪的机械化极大地影响了葡萄栽培成本。最小修剪为允许机械化收获的葡萄园提供了 58% 的成本节约潜力。非常陡峭的斜坡遭受了高达 164% 的显着成本劣势，这只能通过机械化来部分补偿。我们为葡萄酒生产商确定了通过提高葡萄栽培机械化来提高其经济盈利能力的机会。所开发的方法框架可应用于其他具有不同成本设置的葡萄酒产区以及葡萄栽培数字化大数据集的分析。结果可以帮助葡萄酒生产商和政策制定者选择具有成本效益的葡萄栽培系统，并为比较劳动强度提供基准。所开发的方法框架可应用于其他具有不同成本设置的葡萄酒产区以及葡萄栽培数字化大数据集的分析。结果可以帮助葡萄酒生产商和政策制定者选择具有成本效益的葡萄栽培系统，并为比较劳动强度提供基准。所开发的方法框架可应用于其他具有不同成本设置的葡萄酒产区以及葡萄栽培数字化大数据集的分析。结果可以帮助葡萄酒生产商和政策制定者选择具有成本效益的葡萄栽培系统，并为比较劳动强度提供基准。