Innovators Marcus Wickham and Nigel George of Marlborough have developed a mechanical pruner that can be used for cutting, stripping and mulching grapevines.
Their Klima cane pruner enables work traditionally carried out by hand to be done by machinery.
Mr Wickham says the pair were grape-growers working for Mudhouse winery until five years ago, when they tinkered around to build a machine that would slash labour costs of pruning by as much as half.
A company commercialising such products, EverEdge IP, has helped them market to major grape-growing regions in Europe.
Klima licensed the pruner to well-known German vineyard machinery manufacturer and distributor, Ero Weinbau, which now manufactures and distributes the machines.
Marcus Wickham says they have other products in the pipeline.
