Always keen to make their presence felt, the team at Kirkland UK didn’t disappoint at this year’s Vineyard & Winery Show stand. Backed as usual by the food, beer and cider-dispensing vintage lorry, the display was fronted by a mystery vehicle covered for the first half of the day by red velvet material, removed after lunch to reveal a Corvus DX4s 800.
Heralded as the narrowest UTV (utility task vehicle) currently available, the newly launched DX4s is ideal for vineyards and smallholdings, as Kirkland UK sales manager Richard Pendry explained.
“The narrowness of this new model makes all the difference and gives it more scope than the standard UTV,” he said. “It’s ideal for haulage or for trailing machinery and it’s competitively priced. It’s also reliable, comfortable and economical, making it a great choice for anyone needing a robust but adaptable workhorse.”
The Corvus, which is just 145cm wide and has a rear cargo box with a load capacity of 250kg, high ground clearance and tight turning circle, also has a wealth of options and accessories.
As well as unveiling the Corvus, the Kirkland UK stand also featured the Rootwave F601 eWeeder for which the Sutton Valence, Maidstone-based company has been named the sole distributor in the UK.
The Rootwave F601 uses 18 kHz higher frequency electricity to kill off weeds across a variety of crops and working environments with no danger to the operator. The system automatically distinguishes weeds from the crop and is designed “to kill all weeds and their roots to give better weed control while protecting health and helping nature restore its soils, water and biodiversity.”
Richard commented: “Rootwave uses electricity to generate heat within the weed, reaching deep in to the roots to kill the whole plant. Because it uses electricity at higher frequencies it is inherently safer. We have carried out a number of trials which have given very good results.
“As well as being good for organic growers it will be increasingly useful as glyphosate is withdrawn. It is not affected by the wind or drizzle and there’s no harvest interval to consider. As an alternative to mechanical weeding, I think it’s a winner.”
Also attracting significant attention on the Kirkland UK stand was the Burro Grande, an autonomous ‘robot’ vehicle that uses machine learning and high-precision GPS to perform a range of tasks within an orchard or vineyard.
“The Burro Grande is ideal for haulage, with a carrying capacity of 1,000 lbs, and it’s perfect for towing,” explained Richard. “It can tow two tonnes, a mower or sprayer, for instance, making it ideal for nurseries as well as vineyards.
With a range of 15 miles and a top speed of nearly six miles per hour, the four-wheel drive Burro Grande uses Lidar to ‘see’ 40 metres through 360 degrees, enabling it to avoid obstacles, while using GPS to navigate.
“With the minimum wage making manpower increasingly expensive, this is a real breakthrough in making autonomous vehicles accessible to a broader range of growers,” said Richard. “It can replace a tractor and driver in many cases, and it can be viewed on a smartphone app.”
