A Tauranga kiwifruit orchardist has one less challenge on his plate this spring by using the PollenSmart artificial pollination machine for the second consecutive season. Derek Griffin grows 2ha of gold and 2ha of green kiwifruit at Tauriko, near Tauranga, and like most orchardists has challenges with pollination and low bee activity. “The bees just haven’t been doing their job,” he says. “The gold has been okay, but we’ve seen pollination challenges particularly with the gre

New Zealand horticultural icon T&G (originally Turners and Growers) has completed an on-orchard pollination trial using the PollenSmart artificial pollinator, with exciting results. The PollenSmart, designed and engineered by Whakatane agricultural engineering firm The Wrangler, works by blowing pollen onto open kiwifruit flowers not once but four times, via a vacuum intake which recycles the fallen pollen. T&G Kerikeri kiwifruit orchard manager Denis Barker said due to Psa

When Cook saw the PollenSmart artificial pollinator advertised in early 2016, and purchased a unit from the first factory run in spring that

An exciting period of growth has led to the Wrangler team extending their exhibition space to a massive triple site – 33mx18m and located at

The artificial pollinator is the brainchild of orchardist David Horwood of Kutarere near Opotiki, who was unsatisfied by other methods of po

“Multiple passes of light rate pollen application achieved the same results as perfect pollination for challenged orchards.  One pass achiev

Pollination quality is directly linked to fruit size and quality and increasing fruit weight by just one gram could raise orchard gate retur