An innovative new tool aimed at simplifying one of kiwifruit growing’s most labour-intensive tasks won the Young Innovator Award at Fieldays.

Designed by four students at Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate School, the KiwiPrune simplifies the job of removing the plastic clips used to secure the kiwifruit vine. 

The device is designed to remove clips from kiwifruit vines in orchards, improving productivity, reducing strain, and enhancing sustainability.

The clips sit on the wires that run along the T-bar trellises that hold up kiwifruit vines in an orchard.

“Usually people have to take the clips off with their hands. There’s thousands of them and it’s a bit of a pain,” co-creator Madeleine Anderson said.

KiwiPrune removes the clips without damaging the vine or the wire. It also has a serrated side to cut through ties, she said.

Co-creator Courtney Malloy grew up on orchards, having had firsthand experience at having to manually remove the clips while working the vines during the school holidays.

“We came up with the idea to make it easier for all growers and workers.

When you’re using your fingers, you want a break after [removing] a couple because your hands get so tired.”

The clips, especially the older ones, can be extremely hard to remove, she said.

Both said it had been hugely popular with people at their Fieldays site.

“There’s been a lot of interest.”

If successful, they plan on looking at whether it can be used or modified for other industries, such as viticulture.

The tool was designed and developed as part of coursework for the AgriBusiness in Schools programme.

They took they design from a normal wire cutter and modified it to create the KiwiPrune.

Two other members of their group took the design to one of their parents who was an engineer and he created three prototypes, from which they selected their winning entry.

Head Judge Jenny Cameron said: “The judges saw significant potential for use in kiwifruit orchards both in NZ and overseas, as well as in other horticulture and viticulture applications.”

Source: Farmers Weekly