22 | Boosting vineyard efficiency The autonomous platform carries an array of cameras already in use across the industry, capable of counting berries, assessing growth stages, identifying disease and even bird scaring. TRS Sprayers & Equipment T T Karen Phelps “You can set it to start the task and it will do it by itself. It’s like a robotic vacuum that will vacuum the house.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRS Sprayers & Equipment is cementing its reputation as one of the Southern hemisphere’s most forward-thinking agricultural equipment companies with its latest development, a fully electric, fully autonomous sprayer. “It’s been done in collaboration with Peek Robotics in Wellington and been released for vineyards. It requires minimal human operation, burns no fossil fuels and can work around the clock. It is also suitable for orchards in a greenhouse or glasshouse setting,” says Tim Curr, TRS Sprayers & Equipment business development manager. The machine, built around Peek Robotics’ autonomous platform and TRS’s own EVN1300 electric sprayer, is capable of navigating vineyard rows independently, adjusting its spray application in real time and responding to environmental conditions without any human input. The autonomous platform carries an array of cameras already in use across the industry, capable of counting berries, assessing growth stages, identifying disease and even bird scaring. Tim says previously, that technology required a human operator and a tractor, but now the platform navigates entirely on its own, allowing these tasks to be completed by a robot. “You can set it to start the task and it will do it by itself. It’s like a robotic vacuum that will vacuum the house,” says Tim. The sprayer monitors wind conditions, and halts automatically if they exceed safe thresholds, sends alerts when product levels run low, and stops immediately upon detecting a human presence. It operates in near complete silence and produces no light pollution, making it suitable for use outside normal working hours, a significant advantage during tight spray windows, says Tim. Launched late last year, the machine also addresses a pressing issue facing the industry: labour shortages. “By automating one of the most time-consuming vineyard tasks, TRS believes it can help growers maintain productivity without depending on an increasingly scarce workforce,” Tim says. Marlborough-based TRS Wholesale, which designs, manufactures and distributes its own brand of sprayers, has built a culture of constant innovation since its establishment under current ownership in 2020 and change of branding to TRS Sprayers & Equipment. Tim says the new, fully autonomous product is the latest in a series of electric innovations from the company. An earlier project, driven by a customer in Cromwell with a vision for a fully electric orchard, led TRS to develop the EON1 electric orchard sprayer, which Tim describes as the first commercially available, fully electrically driven sprayer in the world. Designed to run entirely from an electric tractor’s battery, the EON1 has since been adapted for use in viticulture as well. “We’re a small company and this allows us to pivot into bespoke areas and create solutions the customer needs,” says Tim. That agility, he says, is central to what sets TRS apart. Rather than waiting for the industry to catch up, it actively seeks out partnerships and emerging technologies to integrate into its product range, with the Peek Robotics collaboration being a good example. “By combining Peek Robotics’ autonomous platform, TRS Sprayers’ industry-leading spraying engineering and Delegat’s commitment to advancing vineyard technology, we’ve delivered a fully integrated electric spraying solution,” says Tim. “We’re proud to be at the forefront of that.” COVERS TANK AND POND LINERS COVERS SEAT REPAIRS 03 578 3777 | blenheim@tmcovers.co.nz www.tmcovers.co.nz Brevini New Zealand Ltd, proudly supporting New Zealand industry and TRS Sprayers & Equipment with quality customised hydraulic solutions. 9 Bishop Croke Place, East Tamaki, Auckland 09 250 0050 | www.allisonoffhighway.com Sales Office: 027 497 0035, Christchurch Proud supplier to TRS Sprayers & Equipment Custom Building - Large range of moulds - Freighted throughout NZ Viticulture Horticulture Aquaculture Storage Tanks Mould Building Repairs Ph: 03 544 4434 7a McPherson St Richmond Nelson NZ www.richmondfibreglass.com sales@richmondfibreglass.com
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