eBulletin


Five webinars to assist growers with vineyards recovering from fire damage

 
Registration is now open for a series of five webinars across five weeks designed to assist growers who are dealing with fire-damaged vineyards.

See the full program here.

Starting on Thursday, 23 April, Colin Hinze from Rural Directions will discuss methods for assessing and mapping vine damage in fire-affected vineyards. In week two, Assoc. Prof. Cassandra Collins from the University of Adelaide will take a look at using bud dissection to help make pruning decisions. In week three, Nick Dry from Foundation Viticulture will dive into all the key considerations when purchasing grapevine planting material. And weeks four and five will see Dr Richard Hamilton of Hamilton Viticulture outline key principles for winter pruning and training fire-damaged vines and replants.

These sessions form part of the Vineyard Mapping and Assessment project that was created in response to the Cudlee Creek and Kangaroo Island bushfires. The project has been led by Wine Grape Council of South Australia with support from Primary Industries and Regions SA. This project was funded by the South Australian Wine Industry Development Scheme and approved by the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Tim Whetstone.

The project has been supported by:

  • The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)
  • South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)
  • Vinehealth Australia
  • University of Adelaide
  • Adelaide Hills Wine Region
  • Rural Directions

The five webinars for the program are:

23 April 2020: Rapid visual assessment and mapping of fire-damaged vineyards – Colin Hinze (Rural Directions)

30 April 2020: Using bud dissection as a tool to evaluate the impacts of fire on grapevines and inform pruning decisions – Assoc. Prof. Cassandra Collins (University of Adelaide)

7 May 2020: What should you consider when purchasing grapevine planting material? – Nick Dry (Foundation Viticulture)

14 May 2020: Principles for re-establishing fire damaged vineyards: winter pruning and preparation  – Dr Richard Hamilton (Hamilton Viticulture)

21 May 2020: Principles for re-establishing fire damaged vineyards: training fire-damaged vines and replants  – Dr Richard Hamilton (Hamilton Viticulture)

Each webinar will include a presentation and an opportunity for audience members to ask questions. Sessions are held on Thursdays at 11:30 am in SA, 12 noon in the eastern states and 10 am in WA.

System requirements

You will need a computer or mobile device with an internet connection. Audio is connected over the internet using your computer or mobile device’s speakers (Voice over Internet Protocol – VOIP). Participants joining a webinar via a mobile device will need to download a free app available from iTunes or Google Play.

If you’ve missed a previous AWRI webinar, you can watch online via the AWRI’s YouTube channel.

For further information on AWRI webinars, please contact the AWRI information services team.