The Marugg vineyard www.weingut-marugg.ch is situated at the northern edge of the wine-growing village Fläsch. The vines that belong to the vineyard grow all around the village on various plots on the peak of Fläsch mountain and at the foot of the Falknis.
The corner stone of the vineyard was laid when the estate’s soil was enriched in the late 1960s. In 1976, Daniel Marugg, father of the current owners, pressed his first wine and, in the following year, he bottled the wine and brought it to market.
It was not long until he had gained loyal customers and could thus expand production. Daniel and Monika Marugg took over the vineyard in 1995. Since 1998, the wines have been sold under the name of “Bovel”, which is a Romanic field name and means “ox field”. This is where the wine cellar is located.
Daniel takes pains to avoid the use of chemicals wherever possible. Considering the changing climate and market fluctuations, this is quite a costly challenge.
Machines can easily be used to work the soil in the paths between the vines, but it is difficult to access the area directly under the grape vine. This is where manual labor or chemicals have to come into play. Neither option is ideal.

We cannot turn back the tides of time, but it is certainly worth taking a closer look at home apothecaries of times past. Home remedies, then and now, are primarily made of herbs and herbal extracts and can be used to treat vines. Our goal is to produce the best vines for the highest enjoyment in a gentle and pleasant manner. As far as it is possible, we want to avoid the use of chemicals.

We are therefore always on the lookout for solutions on how to produce excellent wines at reasonable prices in a natural but also efficient way.

It is important to curtail the growth of grasses and weeds underneath the grape vines without damaging the vines and without resorting to the use of chemicals.

Machines such as the rotary mulcher made by Braun or Siegwald see video and others already exist, but are often either too slow (1-2 km/h) or too inaccurate (more than 10 cm distance from the vine).

I am looking for a machine that mows grass and weeds 2 cm close to the vine. The machine should be an add-on device to a tractor or a self-driving piece of small equipment. It should, however, mow only directly under the vines, not in the paths bewteen the rows. The plants on the paths should be left for biodiversity reasons.

I would like to get in touch directly with a supplier who can deliver. Alternatively, I would be interested in an idea or concept of developing such a machine.

In case of an add-on device to a tractor:

• desired working speed of 4-5 km/h
• must work both on the left and right from the towing vehicle

In case of a self-driving piece of equipment:

• off-road capabilities, can also work with precision on uneven ground
• self-driving and either energy-self-sufficient or can return to charging station autonomously

In all cases:

• grass to be cut to at least 2 cm close to the vine
• vines must not be harmed
• grass in between the rows not to be mowed
• must be robust and able to handle stones and roots as well as able to cut harder stems
• should have a final price of less than CHF 8000
• an operational lifetime of 12 years desired

Version A: The ideal machine already exists.
In this case, I offer a selection of our best wines for information on the supplier. And, should you not be the vendor, why not ask the supplier for a commission as well? I have quite a few neighbors who would also buy this machine. A word of caution, though: I have seen many machines that do not deliver what they promise. The above criteria must be met.

Version B: You would like to develop a new piece of equipment
that fits the above requirements and have a convincing and realizable concept that qualifies for coaching on swip.world. In this case, you win a selection of the best wines from our vineyard Marugg as well as free coaching by swip.world experts. They will coach you on the development and commercial launch of your idea as well as help you to cultivate contacts with investors or possible licensing partners and customers.