A DESALINATION plant and vine trimmer have won The Weekly Times Elmore Field Days Machine of the Year Awards.

Announced at the 45th annual Elmore Field Days last week, the awards recognise excellence in the design and manufacture of machinery and agricultural equipment.

There are two categories in the awards; the Australian-made The Weekly Times Elmore Machine of the Year and the Imported The Weekly Times Elmore Machine of the Year.

The Australian-made title was awarded to the aptly-named salt free desalination plant, designed and manufactured by Don McPherson, Profinish Products, Bendigo.

The plant, distributed by Salt Free, Wodonga, has the ability to desalinate 4000 to 200,000 litres of water a day, and is ideal for converting saline bore water to water that can be used for irrigation and livestock.

The imported machine award went to the Italian-made VBC C4V vine trimmer, distributed by LJR Machinery Sales, Campbellfield.

The trimmer is a fully adaptable, hydraulically controlled machine that is used to trim vine canopies in orchards and vineyards.

The judging panel was impressed with the VBC's build quality and flexibility.

LJR Machinery Sales' Laurie Russell said the VBC was highly adaptable to suit different shaped canopies and easily controlled via a joystick on the tractor.

"The VBC can trim canopies on both sides of the tractor in one pass and each arm can be operated independently of the other, which makes it ideal for working on slopes," Laurie said.

When it came to the desalination plant, the judges said it was extremely well-made and importantly, was easy to use.

Don McPherson said the desalination plant used reverse osmosis technology and included features such as a self-cleaning capability.

"It can take saline water that's up to 8000 parts per million and convert that to water that's 40-110ppm," Don said.

Other awards presented at the Elmore Field Days included the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia Machine of the Year Award, that went to spraying specialist GoldAcres, Ballarat for its EF Prairie sprayer.

The Telstra Award for Innovation and Technology went to Lely Australia for its robotic milking system.