Ideal time to take advantage of government grant

Even at full list price, the Rootwave F601 weed control system represents a sensible investment for fruit growers looking for an effective and environmentally responsible way of keeping vines free from unwanted plant life. Add in a government discount of £25,000 and the proposition becomes particularly attractive.

The Rootwave, available from Maidstone, Kent-based Kirkland UK, is one of the pieces of equipment listed as eligible for a generous grant from the Farming Equipment Technology Fund (FETF), making this an ideal time to take advantage of the £25,000 maximum grant on offer.

While the ‘expected average’ cost of the F601 reflects its high-tech, ultra-efficient approach to weed control at almost £90,000, the grants also apply to a lot of more affordable equipment, including Orizzonti’s tractor-mounted flail mulcher and front-mounted orchard pruner, both of which attract a 40% discount.

The Rootwave takes a whole new approach towards weed control, using high frequency electricity to generate heat that kills the weed, penetrating right down to the roots.

Avoiding chemicals makes the Rootwave a great choice environmentally, as well as saving money over time. It’s organic and soil friendly and offers complete flexibility.

“Supermarkets love it, it’s better for fauna such as earthworms and it doesn’t disturb the soil,” explained Kirkland UK director Scott Worsley. “It can be used in all weathers, which means the grower can treat the weeds when it suits his schedule, and it can be used near water and in sensitive areas as there’s no run-off.”

The higher frequency electricity makes the trailed F601 safe to operate, while sophisticated electronics continually adapt the power to the right level and distinguishes weeds from the vines. The arms move in and between the crop while continuously doing the job, while the machine is designed to cope with row widths of from two to six metres.

Kirkland’s highly skilled service team has had extensive training on the Rootwave to ensure comprehensive back up to growers who invest in this clean, safe and sustainable way to keep vineyards free from weeds.

Newly appointed service manager Nick Ralph heads up a dedicated team of engineers, including apprentice Freddie Scott, and is focused on ensuring that they have regular training on the wide range of machinery that Kirkland UK sells and maintains.

The depot at Sutton Valence, just outside Maidstone, has a dedicated and recently revamped trade counter alongside a well-stocked showroom and well-equipped service area. Parts manager Ben Short now keeps track of more than 4,000 parts and can guarantee next-day delivery on most of them, while even tractor parts that have to be sourced from Antonio Carraro in Italy generally only take a couple of days.

While the impressive Carraro range sadly doesn’t feature on the grant-supported FETF list, plenty of other useful vineyard equipment stocked by Kirkland UK does.

As well as the Rootwave and the impressive Orizzonti equipment, the list includes two models from the Burro range of fully autonomous robotic platforms, both aimed at doing the ‘donkey work’ (burro is Spanish for donkey) in vineyards, nurseries, greenhouses and the like.

A £12,000 grant is available towards both the Burro Verde, described as a “purpose-built solution for autonomous transport” and ideal for moving containers of fruit, and the Burro Grande, a heavier duty model which can tow 2.3 tonnes and has a payload of 450kg.

The Burro Grande is more than capable of towing a mower, allowing for that particular task to be done autonomously, and the team at Kirkland UK is looking closely at other attachments that will allow the multi-purpose platform to carry out a wide range of other roles in the vineyard.

Built to be practical, durable and easy to use, both models have been attracting a lot of interest amongst Kirkland UK’s customers, “particularly those that are concerned about the cost of labour – and that’s all of them,” commented Scott.

Given its potential to save money in the long-term, the FETF grant of £12,000 towards either the Verde at £29,000 or even the larger Grande at £40,000 is likely to look tempting to vineyard managers, but they will need to move quickly. The grants became available on 17 March, with the window closing on 28 April.

“This is an unbeatable opportunity to take advantage of a generous government contribution towards an exciting new piece of kit that can really transform the business,” said Scott, who added that Kirkland UK is planning a Burro demonstration day in the spring.

“The FETF grants only apply to specific pieces of equipment that meet DEFRA’s requirements,” explained Scott. “They rate the Burros so highly that the Rural Payments Agency got in touch to make sure we would have them in stock. They score highly on the scheme – and with growers who have tried them.”

Kirkland UK stocks the full range of Antonio Carraro specialist vineyard tractors, from the pared down 26hp Tigre 3200 through to the impressive Tony 11700V, which delivers 112hp through a CVT (continuously variable transmission) gearbox but, at just 1070mm wide, can handle most vine row spacings.

Both the 11700V and the Tony 8700V, with 75.3hp under the bonnet, are in stock at Kirkland UK, with demonstrators available. “Carraro takes pride in building specialist tractors ‘from the ground up’, rather than making cut down versions of existing tractors,” commented sales and technical support manager Dave Allen.

Also available and particularly useful in steep-sided vineyards and on soft ground is the quadtrack, four-wheel drive Mach 4 Tony, completing an impressive lineup that has the ideal model for all growers.

Amongst an impressively broad range of equipment (displayed in an impressive, 128-page glossy brochure for growers who like to browse at home), Kirkland UK stocks the Agrimix RP2X-F fertiliser spreader, which is built specifically for narrow vineyard rows and supplied with a powder-coated compact profiled hopper.

The Agrimix’s stainless steel double conveyor allows a spreading width of up to nine metres. It can be removed to allow a full field spread of up to 16 metres, while double or single-sided spreading is also possible.

Also popular with Kirkland UK’s discerning nationwide customer base is Friuli’s range of cost-saving, environmentally friendly, two-row drift recovery sprayers, already supplied to the likes of Rathfinny, Chapel Down and Wild Shark. Available from stock, Scott said the sprayers could save up to half the cost of chemicals used in spraying.

Kirkland UK also supplies Ilmer machinery, widely respected for its precision engineering, durability and efficiency in vineyard operations, which makes it particularly well-suited to the demands of UK growers.

“With changing climate conditions and increasing focus on quality English wines, UK vineyards require reliable, specialist equipment that can handle delicate vine management while improving productivity,” said Scott. “We supply Ilmer machinery because it consistently delivers excellent performance, helping vineyards achieve higher yields and better grape quality with reduced labour input.”

Kirkland UK’s recently added trade counter at its base at Griffins Farm, Sutton Valence, is open to the public as well as to growers, with many people taking advantage of the company’s status as a registered number plate supplier.

Ben Short has been with the company for 12 years and has used his experience to set up a well-stocked parts department that can meet a wide range of day-to-day needs, from hydraulic hoses and fittings to paints and electrical components. The new trade counter has boosted turnover by around 15% in the past year.

As a Kramp UK stockist, Kirkland UK also offers quick and easy online ordering of more than 500,000 products, from wheels and tyres to sprayer parts, gearbox and driveline components, PTO shafts and guards and more.

Kirkland UK is currently a Morris Lubricants supplier and has just taken on an area stockist for the company, reflecting its ongoing growth and its reputation with growers across the country.

Growers who book a sprayer in for its vital National Sprayer Testing Scheme service receive 10% discount on sprayer parts, alongside the knowledge that their equipment is operating safely, accurately and efficiently.

One exciting new product the team is keen to highlight is Air-seal, a high-performance puncture repair liquid that lives inside the tyre and instantly seals any hole that appears. It is suitable for agricultural, commercial, industrial and off-road vehicles and is claimed to reduce downtime, improve safety and extend tyre life.

Service manager Nick Ralph heads up a busy team of engineers and joined Kirkland UK after amassing 27 years of experience with other well-known dealerships.

“My aim is to help the team continue to provide the high level of service and customer focus that Kirkland UK is known for and to make sure we stay abreast of the skills needed to look after the newest vineyard machinery, such as the Rootwave,” he commented. Three of the team are heading to France shortly to undergo intensive training on the Gregoire grape harvesters that the dealership supplies and that are becoming increasingly popular with growers looking to reduce labour costs.

“We pride ourselves on our customer service, on going the extra mile and on maintaining a high level of technical knowledge.” Kirkland UK can also modify machinery to meet customer specifications.

The core team of engineers headed up by Nick is made up of Matt Kemsley, Clive Granby, Pete Ewing and apprentice Freddie Scott, who reflects Kirkland UK’s ambition to develop a new skills base to serve customers well into the future.

“It’s a great team doing a great job, and I am proud to be part of it,” Nick concluded.

Air-Seal puncture repair kit available at Kirkland UK

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