H2Ortigator - the plant babysitter

A New Zealand startup is offering a novel approach to irrigation and nutrition management, specifically designed to optimise the growth of young plants in vineyards and orchards.

Apping into old ways of farming

New technology can enable older ways of winegrowing, says Abby Rose, who developed the Sectormentor app for her family’s farm and vineyard in Chile in 2014, as an “observation hub” for the land.

Spraying smarter to grow better

In a competitive and dynamic landscape such as viticulture, the ability to effectively trial, evaluate and embed innovations can provide a distinct advantage.

Strong as an Oxin

Marlborough-based startup SmartMachine has established a firm footprint in the future of vitculture, with the pioneering Oxin uncrewed ground vehicle.

Lachlan McLeay. Photo Credit: Jim Tannock

A quiet revolution is underway in New Zealand vineyards, and Marlborough’s Matua Wines is on the leading edge.

Murray and V3. Photo Credit: Jim Tannock

Developing Cloudy Bay's autonomous vineyard tractor has been a "dream experience" for Murray Faber, who began the project with a pile of scrap metal in the depths of Covid-19.

Stellar support for Cropsy

New Zealand-based agritech startup Cropsy Technologies has raised $1.7 million in an extended and oversubscribed capital raise, including support from United States investor Seraph Group.

Strong as Oxin

Grape Growers in Hawke’s Bay have been invited to view two Oxin in action at a vineyard field day in January.

BioScout: Taking the guesswork out of fungal diseases

Lewis Collins was working on spore trapping as part of his microbiology studies when he thought about the challenge of analysing airborne diseases. By the time useful data was received, it was typically too late to avoid an outbreak within a crop.

With the wine industry seeking mechanical weeding options to reduce chemical reliance in vineyards, Italian manufacturer Orizzonti has introduced the Speed Green machine, with a novel, yet proven, solution.

Well known for its spreaders, feed wagons, tip trailers and quick hitches, Hamilton-based Coombridge and Alexander has added a new Orchard Spreader to its SAM machinery range.

Cropsy is on a quest to help viticulturists reach their full potential using a unique and scalable artificial intelligence computer-vision system. The Kiwi start-up won the Early Stage and Young Innovators Awards, along with cheques for $11,000, at the recent National Fieldays Innovation Awards.

Near the Horowhenua town of Otaki, dairy conversion has taken on a whole new meaning. It’s not a case of converting sheep and beef farms to dairy farms, rather it’s a case of just converting old dairy sheds to country style tourist accommodation. Reporter Peter Burke visited two such conversions by two pretty special and creative women.

Italian tractor manufacturer Landini, well-known for its specialised tractors in the vineyard and orchard sectors, has announced a new addition to its range - the Rex 4 Electra.

Claimed to be some of the most revolutionary spray technology to enter the Australasian market, the BA Smart Sprayer powered by Smart-Appl, provides viticulturists and horticulturists with reduced chemical use, economical spray application and advanced crop mapping.

A new and improved version of Naïo Technologies’ autonomous weeding robot, Ted, has been revealed prior to a tour of French vineyards.

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