An election is now under way for the vacant positions on the AWRI Board of Directors in the small (<2,000 tonnes) and medium (2,001 – 50,000 tonnes) producer categories.

The following nominations were received:

Small Producer Category

• John Harvey of Bathe Wines (SA)
• Gary Baldwin of Handpicked Wines and Wine Network Consulting Pty Ltd (Vic)

Medium Producer Category

• Kim Horton of Willow Bridge Estate (WA)
• Wendy Cameron, Winemaking Consultant (Vic)

Producers in the small and medium categories are strongly encouraged to vote for their preferred candidate. This is an excellent opportunity to have a say in electing a candidate that can contribute to the Australian grape and wine research and development agenda.

The election is being conducted electronically with assistance from Elections Australia Pty Ltd. Voting instructions were sent to all levy payers in the small and medium producer categories in the week commencing 21 August 2017. Voting will close at 5 pm, Friday 8 September 2017. Candidate profiles are available from the AWRI website. If you have not received voting instructions and believe you are eligible to vote, please contact the AWRI.

For large producers, a single nomination was received, so an election in the large category is not required. The AWRI is therefore pleased to announce that Mr Iain Jones of Treasury Wine Estates has been elected to the AWRI Board.

For further information please contact Shiralee Dodd 08 8313 6610 or Shiralee.Dodd@awri.com.au.

The August 2017 issue of Technical Review is now available online. Articles and abstracts can be viewed individually, or the full issue can be downloaded. The online format of Technical Review allows you to browse the list of the latest articles on grape and wine production by keyword, view article summaries and order journal articles from the AWRI Library.

For copyright reasons, access to abstracts is available only to Australian winemakers and grapegrowers who pay the Wine Grapes or Grape Research levies. The technical notes authored by the AWRI are, however, freely available. If you have forgotten your password for the AWRI website, please use the forgotten password link to reset your password.

Below is a snapshot of what's in this issue:

AWRI Technical Notes	Trees and vines: can different types of local vegetation contribute to wine flavour? Learning about ferments from big data
AWRI publications	The dark side of wine microbiology Ask the AWRI: why was there more powdery mildew than usual this season? Ask the AWRI: adding water to high sugar must Gentle or intense grape crushing? Impact of bottle aging on smoke-tainted wines from different grape cultivars Fellows of the ASVO
Current literature – oenology	Organic price premium or penalty? A comparative market analysis of organic wines from Tuscany Understanding and working with pressings Benefits of egg-shaped wine tanks: winery trial compares half-ton bins and plastic eggs Replicating the barrel with new alternatives: suppliers expand range of shapes and sizes of alternatives and offer new extracts Sulfite efficiency on Brettanomyces bruxellensis depends on the population present Oxygen exposure of tannins-rich red wines during bottle aging. Influence on phenolics and color, astringency markers and sensory attributes Wine screw cap closures: the next generation Mineral character in wine: is the perception of minerality all in the mind? The smell of terroir! Olfactory discrimination between wines of different grape variety and different terroir
Current literature – viticulture	The application of microorganisms in vineyards to enhance plant protection and soil function & microbiology How wineries use vineyard technology Production costs for alternative winegrowing farming systems Cool climate wine production in China Strategies to reduce the damage from frost in late spring Reworking vineyards – why, when and how? Part 1 Effect of trimming date and cut height on vine physiological behaviour and wine quality made from Sauvignon Blanc – trials 2007-2011 Know your pest: a guide to grapevine threats Is fungicide resistance affecting botrytis control in our vineyards? Pinot Noir: cracking the clonal code Investigations into the nutrient contents of pruning wood of grapes of the grape varieties ‘Pinot Noir’, ‘Blauburger’, ‘Blaufränkisch’, ‘Zweigelt’ (‘Rotburger’), ‘Grüner Veltliner’, ‘Riesling’ and ‘Roesler’ Slow and steady nitrogen management in the vineyard

The AWRI webinar program is back and registration for the first four sessions is open now!

There are four informative sessions to begin the program. Coming up first, a new heat test provides same-day results without compromising accuracy. The following three webinars address global supply and demand trends, results from a recent study identifying the role Australia’s image plays in export markets, and finally recommendations for effective spray application.

Each webinar includes a presentation and an opportunity for Q&A and is held on Thursday at 11:30 am Australian Central Daylight Time (Adelaide, GMT+9:30). All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

The first four webinars for the program are:

17 August 2017: Predicting heat stability of wine: the heat test revisited – Dr Jacqui McRae (AWRI)

31 August 2017: State of play – Australian wine in a global context – Mark Rowley (Wine Australia)

14 September 2017: Australia’s country image internationally and trade recommendations to buy Australian wine: effects and implications – Dr Roberta Crouch (The University of Adelaide)

28 September 2017: Effective spray application – Alison MacGregor (Independent consultant)

Click here to register now or find out more.
After registering for a webinar, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the session.

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 it online via the AWRI’s YouTube channel

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

Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus (GPGV) has been detected for the first time in Australia.

This virus is common in many international wine regions in Europe, USA, Canada and China.

GPGV can be spread via infected propagation material and possibly by bud and blister mite. The impact of GPGV on vine health is not well understood and is further complicated by the finding that GPGV is frequently found in mixed infections with other viruses.

Measures have been taken to ensure that no spread will occur from the vines in which the virus has been detected in Australia. To determine the extent of GPGV in Australia, targeted surveillance for the virus by relevant state government biosecurity departments will take place this spring when symptoms are most evident.

About GPGV

GPGV is a member of the genus Trichovirus in the family Betaflexiviridae. It is a recent scientific discovery and the origin of the virus is unknown. The discovery of GPGV in Australia has been enabled by improved diagnostic capability.

GPGV has been reported in China, Croatia, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Italy, France, Korea, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Greece, USA and Turkey and has been confirmed in at least 28 wine and table grape varieties including Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Traminer, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Carmenere.

Grapevines infected with GPGV can either show symptoms, or are symptomless. The symptoms associated with infection include delayed budburst, leaf distortion and mottling, shortened internodes, increased berry acidity and yield loss (reports of up to 80%). These symptoms are most pronounced in spring and may be confused with early season bud mite damage, cold injury or herbicide damage.

Action required

Given the recent isolated detections of GPGV in Australia and pending further evidence that GPGV is present in other vineyards in Australia, GPGV is still categorised as an exotic plant pest.

Therefore, it is important that:

• You promptly call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline (1800 084 881) if you observe symptoms in grapevines similar to that described above and in the GPGV fact sheet.
• If you are planting a new vineyard, you speak to your supplier of propagation material to determine virus status of the material.
• If you are undertaking top-working of existing vines, you determine the virus status of both the rootstock (existing vine) and the budwood for grafting.

Diagnostics

The two main laboratories for grapevine virus testing in Australia are:

Crop Health Services
AgriBio Specimen Reception
Main Loading Dock, 5 Ring Road,
La Trobe University,
Bundoora, VIC 3083
Phone: 03 9032 7323
Email: chs.reception@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Waite Diagnostics
University of Adelaide
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
PMB 1, Glen Osmond SA 5064
Phone: 08 8313 7426
Email: nuredin.habili@adelaide.edu.au

More information

More information about GPGV symptoms, sampling, diagnostics and actions following a positive test can be found in the GPGV fact sheet, accessible here.

Further information on GPGV will be provided as new details are obtained, and on completion of the targeted surveillance program in spring 2017.

If you have questions about Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus, please contact Australian Vignerons on 08 8133 4401.

For maximum reach, this advice is being distributed simultaneously by Australian Vignerons, Vinehealth Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute.

22 June 2017

The 2017/18 edition of Agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture (the ‘Dog book‘) is now available. The updated ‘Dog book’ can be viewed via the online pdf or mobile app. A hard copy will be distributed to levy payers by mail and will also be included with the next issue of Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker.

This agrochemical update summarises the major changes compared with the previous version.

Raising awareness of re-entry periods and grazing restrictions

The following statements have been added to page 3 in the 2017/18 edition to raise awareness of re-entry periods and grazing restrictions after agrochemical use.

The chemical label provides important information that must be followed including the personal protective equipment to be used when mixing chemicals or entering a vineyard after chemical use. See pages 15 – 22 for more information about re-entry periods.

 

Grazing restrictions may apply to vineyards where agrochemicals have been used. Consult product labels for details.

New active constituents

DIFENOCONAZOLE
APVMA 65130

‘Digger’ is registered for control of powdery mildew in grapevines and is an activity group 3 (Demethylation inhibitors) fungicide.

‘Digger’ is a Nufarm Australia Limited product. The label states: Apply as part of a protectant program. Apply a maximum of 2 applications per season either as consecutive sprays or in alternation with other fungicides. DO NOT apply after growth stage EL 25 (80% cap fall). Do not allow spray intervals to exceed 21 days. Shorter intervals between days may be warranted if ‘Digger’ is being applied during periods of rapid vine growth. If applying consecutive applications of ‘Digger’, a minimum spray interval of 7 days is required.

Recommended restriction on use (withholding period) for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than 80% capfall.

Re-entry statement for ‘Digger’: Do not enter treated areas until the spray has dried unless wearing cotton overalls buttoned to the neck and wrist and butyl rubber gloves. Clothing must be laundered after each day’s use.

Correction

The active constituent Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum was unintentionally omitted from the 2017/18 edition of the ‘Dog book’ for control of Wingless Grasshopper (page 12). Products containing this active constituent include Green Guard SC and Green Guard SC Premium. The recommended restriction on use is ‘Use no later than 7 days before harvest’.

Active constituent removed

The following active constituent has been removed from the ‘Dog book’ because the product is no longer available.

QUIZALOFOP-P-TEFURYL
Activity group A herbicide registered for Kikuyu.

Chemical resistance management strategies

CropLife Australia has updated the resistance management strategies for downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot. The latest strategies are provided for these diseases on pages 25 to 27.

Exotic vineyard pests

Grapegrowers have a role to play in minimising biosecurity threats. Key tips to reduce the risk of an exotic pest from going undetected on your farm are provided on page 28.

For more information or to request a copy of the new ‘Dog book’, please contact Marcel Essling on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

This information is provided to inform the Australian grape and wine sector and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product.