Klima Kiwifruit System
After four years of research and development, ECO TRELLIS has successfully demonstrated an innovative system designed to reduce the time, labour and cost involved in removing and mulching kiwifruit canes.
By combining modified Klima vineyard technology with a purpose-designed ECO TRELLIS trellising system, pre-cut canes can be stripped from the orchard structure and mulched in a single operation with minimal clean-up required.
Benefits for Growers
The ECO TRELLIS Klima System has been developed to help make one of the most labour-intensive kiwifruit orchard tasks faster, easier and more efficient.
Potential benefits include:
- Reduced labour required for cane removal.
- Lower pruning and post-pruning clean-up costs.
- Canes stripped and mulched in a single operation.
- Faster orchard turnaround between pruning and the next stage of the growing cycle.
- Suitable for new orchard developments and with potential to be retrofitted to existing orchards.
- Designed to improve productivity while reducing operating costs.
As commercial trials continue, ECO TRELLIS will work with growers and industry partners to further quantify the time and cost savings the system can deliver.
Purpose-Built for Kiwifruit Orchards
Although the Klima system has been widely used in vineyards, adapting it for kiwifruit required significant engineering and innovation.
ECO TRELLIS modified a Klima machine to operate horizontally beneath the kiwifruit canopy and developed a complementary trellising system featuring patent-pending releasable wire holders. This allows the down-row wires to be released and passed through the Klima head, where pre-cut canes are stripped and mulched.
Over four years, multiple machine and trellis configurations were tested and refined, resulting in a practical working solution designed specifically for New Zealand kiwifruit orchards.
Successful Industry Demonstration
The latest trial, held at a Te Puke orchard, attracted strong interest from growers and industry representatives, including Prospa, BayGold, Southern Cross Hort and other industry participants.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with comments including:
“What a gamechanger.”
“I won’t need nearly as many workers to prune now.”
“This stuff will win awards.”
The Next Step
ECO TRELLIS is now working with growers and industry partners to establish wider commercial trials. These will help refine the system across different orchard layouts and growing methods while supporting its development into a fully commercial solution for the kiwifruit industry.
Find Out More
If you would like to learn more about the ECO TRELLIS Klima Kiwifruit System or discuss future commercial trials, please contact:
Gareth Gardiner
Phone: 021 222 4424
Email: gg@nztm.co or sales@ecotrellis.com
