Ravillon: Innovation at the heart of the Champagne vineyards

Since its creation in 1957 by Robert and Lucette Ravillon, the Ravillon family business has established itself as a key player in agricultural and viticultural machinery in Champagne. With 225 employees working at 13 sites, including 9 dedicated to winegrowing, Ravillon combines tradition and innovation to meet the challenges of the sector. From the outset, Ravillon has positioned itself as a partner of choice for the region's farmers and winegrowers.

"Our strategy has always been to serve and support professionals and private individuals in their development and their offer by proposing the best performing products", explains Philippe Ravillon, the company's Managing Director. This approach has paid off, as shown by Ravillon's impressive market share in Champagne: 50% for vineyard straddle carriers, 20% for agricultural tractors and 50% for combine harvesters.

Innovation at the heart of corporate strategy

Ravillon not only distributes agricultural and viticultural equipment, it is also fully committed to technological innovation. With its in-house Rav' N-tech division, made up of six specialists, it has positioned itself as a leader in precision agriculture and viticulture.

A striking example of this approach is the precise surveying of vineyard plots, which enables each vineyard to be mapped in great detail, row by row, incorporating data such as planting density, topography and sensitive areas. This information is then used to precisely adjust the doses of plant protection products applied, using only the amount needed and only where it is needed.

This targeted approach makes it possible to reduce the use of products by up to 25%, with several beneficial effects: a reduction in environmental impact, by preserving soil biodiversity and water quality; and an improvement in harvest quality, by encouraging healthier development of the grapes. Combined with the use of RTK beacons, pioneered by Ravillon in France, this technology provides centimetre-level precision for operations. This innovation enables winegrowers to optimise every operation on their plots, thereby contributing to more sustainable, high-performance winegrowing.

TOWARDS THE WINEGROWING OF THE FUTUR

Ravillon is constantly exploring new avenues for future innovation in Champagne winegrowing:

1. My Vitiplanning by Ravillon : This integrated management tool optimises work planning and resource management, enabling more efficient and sustainable farm management.
2. Autonomous driving of high-clearance tractors : By developing autonomous straddle carriers capable of following GPS routes, Ravillon aims to improve the precision of work and reduce the drudgery for operators.
3. Versatile robotics : In collaboration with the manufacturer Yanmar, Ravillon is banking on solutions such as the autonomous caterpillar, capable of spraying and working the soil, offering unprecedented flexibility in vineyards.
4. Optimising treatments : Thanks to the automatic cut-off of each plot, coupled with geolocation of the plots, winegrowers can reduce the quantity of products used by up to 25%, while improving the effectiveness of treatments.

These innovations are part of a global approach aimed at making Champagne viticulture more precise, more sustainable and better adapted to the challenges of the 21st century.

The challenge of decarbonisation

Faced with environmental challenges, Ravillon is actively exploring alternatives to traditional combustion engines:

• Electric: The New Holland T4 Electric tractor, due to go on sale in the 2nd half of 2025, will offer an interesting solution, albeit with constraints in terms of autonomy and cost.
• Biomethane: New Holland is the only manufacturer today to offer a T6.180 BioMethane tractor in an agricultural version rather than a vineyard straddle carrier, given the need for a large storage area.
• Fuels of 100% renewable origin (HVO): This is a biofuel made from vegetable, residual or waste oils. It is currently an interesting alternative for reducing our carbon footprint.
• Hydrogen: the most promising solution for total decarbonisation. Ravillon, via its partners Tecnoma and New Holland, is working on this technology. Since New Holland's NH2 tractor won an award at Sima 2009, applications are currently being tested, such as a snow groomer in Austria equipped with a 400hp FPT hydrogen engine, or 30 agricultural tractors retrofitted with hydrogen in the Netherlands in a Natura 2000 area. But the problem also lies in the production of hydrogen from biomass, which is still in its infancy. With Tecnoma, Ravillon is aiming to market a range of hydrogen-powered vineyard tractors before 2030, offering a zero-emission solution.

Ravillon's role is to anticipate the future needs of the industry and provide concrete solutions, positioning the company at the forefront, ready to adapt its offer to technological advances and the specific needs of the Champagne wine sector.

LOOKING TO THE FUTUR

Ravillon is not stopping there, and is already thinking about the future of the Champagne harvest. "We are ready to respond to a possible move towards mechanical harvesting with our partner New Holland, the leader in harvesting machines in France and worldwide", says the Managing Director.

"This could address major social, environmental and economic issues for the region".

With its approach combining historical expertise and constant innovation, Ravillon is establishing itself as a key player in the transformation of the Champagne wine sector, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.