The Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute Blog

AWRI webinars – what’s coming up?

21 November 2016 >

Four great reasons to catch an AWRI webinar before the end of the year!

The AWRI webinar program runs through to early December and there are four informative sessions to close out the year. Coming up tomorrow is a webinar from Tadro Abbott that demonstrates exciting improvements to the AWRI’s free Ferment Simulator tool, taking it from a spreadsheet to an app. The following three webinars cover vine balance, a seasonal outlook for vintage 2017 and techniques for whole bunch red ferments. Each webinar consists of a presentation followed by a Q&A session and is held at 11:30 am Australian Central Daylight Time (Adelaide, GMT+10:30), usually on a Thursday. All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

The remaining four webinars for 2016 are:

17 November 2016: Ferment Simulator – Tadro Abbott (AWRI)

24 November 2016: Targeted manipulation of vine balance – Everard Edwards (CSIRO)

1 December 2016: Bureau of Meteorology seasonal outlook for vintage 2017 – Gary Allan and Joel Lisonbee (Bureau of Meterology)

8 December 2016: Whole bunch fermentation – Cathy Howard (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.

Registration confirmation
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 with an internet connection. Participants can dial in via phone using the provided number or audio can be connected over the internet using the computer’s microphone and speakers (voice over internet protocol – VOIP). Participants can also join a webinar with an Android or iOS mobile device. See here for details on downloading the required mobile app.
Questions or help needed? Please contact infoservices@awri.com.au or phone 08 8313 6600.

eNews – November 2016

10 November 2016 >

New workshop launching in November

Online Ferment Simulator coming soon

Grape samples needed for smoke taint background study

Survey update

Functional and luxury foods report and luxury workshops

Women in wine awards nomination

Entwine logo now available for members

New online tool to identify best rootstocks
WINEHEALTH 2017 dates announced

Order the latest AWRI staff publications online

Acknowledgement

New workshop launching in November

This month the AWRI is launching a new ‘Improving quality and reducing costs’ roadshow workshop. This workshop provides information to help grapegrowers and winemakers operate more efficiently and profitably when facing financial or natural resource constraints. It will focus on techniques that improve processes and reduce costs, while maintaining or improving grape and wine quality. After launching in Clare and McLaren Vale in November 2016, the workshop will roll out across Australia following vintage 2017.

The workshop is divided into two sessions: one focusing on viticulture and one on winemaking.

The viticulture session begins with a regional overview of electricity, fuel, water, agrochemical spray and other resources used in the region for the current year, sourced from Entwine and other data. This is followed by topics including stretching water further, optimising vineyard yield without affecting quality and the latest vineyard tools to better manage vineyard variation.

The winemaking session reviews key issues faced by the region over the last year based on queries received by the AWRI helpdesk, the past season’s weather and its impacts on current wine composition. This is followed by two interactive presentations– one focused on wine quality analysis and one on winemaking processes.

The Clare Valley workshop is on Tuesday 22 November at the Rising Sun Hotel in Auburn. Visit the event page to view the program and register to attend.

The McLaren Vale workshop is on Tuesday 29 November at the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre. Visit the event page to view the program and register to attend.

For more information, please contact the AWRI events team on events@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.

Online Ferment Simulator coming soon
gauge The AWRI will launch a new Ferment Simulator module for the WineCloud next month. This free app brings the power of the algorithms from the original Excel-based Ferment Simulator into a new online platform designed for ease of use on both desktops and mobile devices.

The Ferment Simulator is a repository for all ferment-related data, including baume and temperature readings, juice analysis, actions like pump-overs and additions, and any other analysis performed on the tank. The data collected feeds the algorithms which predict ferment endpoints and identify stuck or sluggish ferments to assist with early intervention.

Powerful What-If and What-Now modes allow modelling of corrective actions before going out to the tank. A digital archive of ferment data also allows users to search back through their ferment history, view old ferments and compare performance.

The Ferment Simulator will be available soon as a free module on the WineCloud. For more information and to be alerted when the app is released, visit the Ferment Simulator webpage.

Grape samples needed for smoke taint background study
grape-bunch-360px The AWRI helpdesk team is continuing its smoke taint baseline study during 2017 to improve the interpretation of smoke taint analysis of grapes. This project is collecting data on the natural ‘background levels’ of smoke taint compounds that are present in grapes that have not been exposed to smoke. Improved smoke taint analysis interpretations will enable winemakers to make better decisions when faced with grapes that might have been exposed to smoke. The AWRI is seeking 1-2 kg samples of grapes that have not been exposed to smoke. The samples will need to be frozen once picked and then transported to the AWRI post-vintage. If you are able to collect samples, the AWRI will send you sample bags, cable ties and labels, as well as information about shipment and possible quarantine requirements. All sample transport costs will be covered. To express your interest in being involved or for further information, please contact helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Survey update

The AWRI would like to thank all of the respondents who took the time to complete the Vineyard and Winery Practices Survey. The survey closed at the end of September, having received around 670 responses. Congratulations are extended to Sheena High of Native Point Wines in Tasmania who won the lucky draw prize of a trip to the Vinitech-Sifel vineyard and winery equipment exhibition in Bordeaux at the end of November. The AWRI would also like to thank Sandra Trew of Promosalons and Vinitech-Sifel for sponsoring this prize. Next steps for the survey project involve aggregation of the data and consultation with industry personnel to add context to the information gathered. A report will be distributed next year.

Functional and luxury foods report and luxury workshops

In 2015, Primary Industries and Regions SA commissioned a study of functional and luxury foods. The goal of this study was to provide the SA State Government and the SA food industry with a roadmap of where food and beverage value chains could switch to higher value-added products and services, sought after in both key Asian export markets and domestically. The key findings of the research project (across a wide range of food and beverages) were captured in a summary report. The SA Government approached the AWRI to collate the findings from the project that are most relevant to the wine industry. These are now available in a report on the AWRI website.
The AWRI is also presenting two workshops on luxury business strategy and design thinking in mid-November. Visit the AWRI events calendar to register or contact Gregoire Patacq on 08 8313 6600 or gregoire.patacq@awri.com.au.

AWRI staff achievements

AWRI Research Scientist Dr Dimitra Capone has been announced as one of three finalists in the ‘Researcher of the Year’ category of the Australian Women in Wine Awards. This is the first year there has been a researcher category, and the AWRI community is delighted that one of our own researchers is in contention. Dimi’s research in recent years has focused on understanding the origin of eucalyptus characters in Australian red wines and investigating compounds responsible for tropical aromas and flavours in wine. The winners of the Australian Women in Wine Awards will be announced on 15 November.

In late September, AWRI Managing Director Dr Dan Johnson was awarded a grant from the SA Industry Leaders Fund (ILF) to participate in the Advanced Management Leadership Program at the Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK. The Industry Leaders Fund is a specialised networking group made up of grant recipients who have operated successful South Australian businesses and achieved excellent results in the ILF leadership test which is based on the same principles as the test applied to Rhodes Scholars. ILF scholars have studied at, or have committed to study at, one of the world’s leading business schools.

Entwine logo now available for members
Entwine The Entwine logo is now available for members to use. All Entwine members are encouraged to display the Entwine logo in their marketing materials to promote their participation in the Australian wine industry’s sustainability program. Certified members can also use the logo on wine and its packaging provided that at least 85% of the grapes in the wine were grown in a Certified member vineyard and the wine was made in a Certified member winery. The Entwine logo files and rules for its use are now available for download from http://www.entwineaustralia.com.au/.

New online tool to identify best rootstocks

Organic vineyard in McLaren Vale, Australia

Organic vineyard in McLaren Vale, Australia

 Wine Australia has released a free online tool that will help wine-grape growers determine the rootstocks that will best suit their vineyard – the Grapevine Rootstock Selector. By answering a series of questions about their vineyard, growers can use the Grapevine Rootstock Selector to identify a small number of appropriate rootstocks for their vineyard. The Grapevine Rootstock Selector brings together knowledge from Australian and international research about the specific characteristics of different rootstocks and is based on a tool first developed in 2002 by Yalumba Nursery. Visit http://www.grapevinerootstock.com to try out the new tool.

WINEHEALTH 2017 dates announced

Conference organisers have announced that the next WINEHEALTH conference will be held in Logroño (La Rioja), Spain from 16-18 February 2017. More details about the conference program and how to register are available from the conference website: http://winehealth2017.com/.

Order the latest AWRI staff publications online

Accessing the latest AWRI publications is easy. Visit the AWRI Publications web page to:

  • View the 10 most recent AWRI staff publications and order the articles online from the AWRI Library
  • Search the staff publications database
  • Read the full-text of ‘Technical Notes’ from Technical Review (PDF format)
  • Read the full-text of ‘AWRI reports’ published in Wine & Viticulture Journal (PDF format).

A full list of AWRI publications published since the last eNews is included below:

1847 Barrett-Connor, E., de Gaetano, G., Djoussé, L., Ellison R.C., Estruch, R., Finkel, H., Goldfinger, T., Keil, U., Lanzmann-Pettithory, D., Mattivi, F., Skovenborg, E., Stockley, C., Svilaas, A., Teissedre, P-L., Thelle, D.S. Correspondence: Comments on moderate alcohol consumption and mortality. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 77 (5): 834-836; 2016.

1848 Hixson, J.L., Jacobs, J.L., Wilkes, E.N., Smith, P.A. A survey of the variation in grape marc condensed tannin composition and concentration, and analysis of key compositional factors. J. Agric. Food Chem. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b03126; 2016.

1849 Bindon, K. A., Li, S., Kassara, S., Smith, P.A. The retention of proanthocyanidin in wine-like solution is conferred by a dynamic interaction between soluble and insoluble grape cell wall components. J. Agric. Food Chem. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02900; 2016.

1850 Bekker, M.Z., Smith, M.E., Smith, P.A., Wilkes, E.N. Formation of hydrogen sulfide in wine: interactions between copper and sulfur dioxide. Molecules 21 (1214): 1-17; 2016.

1851 Mierczynska-Vasilev, A., Smith, P. A. Surface modification influencing adsorption of red wine constituents: The role of functional groups. Appl. Surf. Sci. 386: 14-23; 2016.

1852 Christo, S. N., Bachhuka, A., Diener, K. R., Mierczynska, A., Hayball, J. D., Vasilev, K. The role of surface nanotopography and chemistry on primary neutrophil and macrophage cellular responses. Adv. Healthcare Mater. 5 (8): 956-965; 2016.

1853 Ramiasa-MacGregor, M., Mierczynska, A., Sedev, R., Vasilev, K. Tuning and predicting the wetting of nanoengineered material surface Nanoscale 8 (8): 4635-4642; 2016.

1854 Mierczynski, P., Mierczynska, A., Maniukiewicz, W., Maniecki, T. P., Vasilev, K. MWCNTs as a catalyst in oxy-steam reforming of methanol. RSC Adv. 6 (84): 81408-81413; 2016.

1855 Mierczynski, P., Vasilev, K., Mierczynska, A., Ciesielski, R., Maniukiewicz, W., Rogowski, J., Szynkowska, I. M., Trifonov, A. Y., Dubkov, S. V., Gromov, D., Maniecki, T. P. The effect of gold on modern bimetallic Au-Cu/MWCNT catalysts for oxy-steam reforming of methanol. Catal. Sci. Technol. 6 (12): 4168-4183; 2016.

1856 Delalat, B., Mierczynska, A., Ghaemi, S. R., Vasilev, K., Voelcker, N. H. Materials displaying neural growth factor gradients and applications in neural differentiation of embryoid body cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 25 (18): 2737-2744; 2015.

1857 Ramiasa, M. N., Cavallaro, A. A., Mierczynska, A., Hayball, J. D., Vasilev, K. Plasma polymerised polyoxazoline thin films for biomedical applications. Chem. Comm. 51 (20): 4279-4282; 2015.

1858 Zenoni, S., Fasoli, M., Guzzo, F., Dal Santo, S., Amato, A., Anesi, A., Commisso, M., Herderich, M., Ceoldo, S., Avesani, L., Pezzotti, M., Battista Tornielli, G. Disclosing the molecular basis of the postharvest life of berry in different grapevine genotypes. Plant Physiol. DOI:10.1104/pp.16.00865; 2016.

1859 Longbottom, M. ASVO prepares for November Awards night following ‘one of the best conferences ever’. Wine Vitic. J. 31 (5): p. 10; 2016.

1860 Cordente, T., Solomon, M., Godden, P., Curtin, C., Johnson, D. A rose by any other name: novel wine yeast that impart floral aromas. Wine Vitic. J. 31 (5): 39-40; 2016.

1861 Dry, P. Fiano. Wine Vitic. J. 31 (5): p. 59; 2016.

1862 Holdstock, M. Ask the AWRI: Calcium and its predictable presence. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (632): 68-69; 2016.

1863 Coulter, A., Cowey, G., Petrie, P., Essling, M., Holdstock, M., Stockley, C., Simos, C., Johnson, D. Vintage 2016 – observations from the AWRI helpdesk. Wine Vitic. J. 31 (4): 43-45; 2016.

1864 Wilkes, E. AWRI research: Honest wine. WBM (September/October): 32-34; 2016.

1865 Parker, M., Black, C., Pearson, W., Barker, A., Francis, L., Herderich, M. I Glicosidi contribuiscono al rilascio di aroma in bocca. OICCE Times 68 (17): 15-18; 2016.

1866 Geffroy, O., Siebert, T., Silvano, A., Herderich, M. Impact of winemaking techniques on classical enological parameters and Rotundone in red wine at the laboratory scale. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. doi: 10.5344/ajev.2016.16060; 2016.

1867 Dry, P. Kerner. Wine Vitic. J. 31 (4): p. 59; 2016.

1868 Essling, M. Ask the AWRI: Re-entry periods after vineyard sprays. Aust. N.Z. Grapegrower Winemaker (633): p. 54; 2016.

1869 Caravia, L., Collins, C., Petrie, P.R., Tyerman, S.D. Application of shade treatments during Shiraz berry ripening to reduce the impact of high temperature.
Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 22 (3): 422-437; 2016.

1870 Phogat, V., Skewes, M.A., McCarthy, M.G., Cox, J.W., Šimůnek, J., Petrie, P.R. Evaluation of crop coefficients, water productivity, and water balance components for wine grapes irrigated at different deficit levels by a sub-surface drip. Agr. Water Manag. 180 (Part A): 22-34; 2017.

1871 Stamatopoulos, P., Brohan, E., Prevost, C., Siebert, T.E., Herderich, M., Darriet, P. Influence of chirality of lactones on the perception of some typical fruity notes through perceptual interaction phenomena in Bordeaux dessert wines. J. Agric. Food Chem. 64 (43): 8160-8167; 2016.

1872 Varela, C. The impact of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the production of alcoholic beverages. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. doi: 10.1007/s00253-016-7941-6; 2016.

Acknowledgement

The AWRI acknowledges support from Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body, Wine Australia, with matching funds from the Australian Government. The AWRI is a member of the Wine Innovation Cluster in Adelaide, South Australia.

 

Agrochemical eBulletin November 2016

3 November 2016 >

New active constituent for powdery mildew

PYRIOFENONE
APVMA 68898

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has approved the active constituent pyriofenone for use on wine-grapes. Pyriofenone is a U8 activity group. Kusabi 300 SC is registered for control of powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) in grapevines and is distributed by AgNova Technologies Pty Ltd.

The label withholding period (WHP) for Kusabi 300 SC is five weeks before harvest.

Recommended restriction on use for grapes destined for export wine: Use no later than E-L 31, berries pea-size (7 mm diameter).

For more information, 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 of agrochemical information, and should not be interpreted as an endorsement.

Finishing touches

31 October 2016 >

It’s late October and the wine will be bottled in about four weeks. Time to get it out of oak, look at tweaking the blend, and do some cold stabilisation.

Barrels with tanks in background.
1

Racking tube in barrel
2

Wine in tube
3

Full tanks ready for cool room
4

It’s also time to get the labels printed. There have been a few tweaks to the label since our first mock-up in PowerPoint – the bottle on the left.

Labels on bottles
5

The final proof was just what we were after.

Signed label proof
6

Multi-color were great to work with and did a fantastic job

Label printing
7

Printed labels
8

Agrochemical update October 2016

26 October 2016 >

Plant growth regulators

Plant growth regulators function as plant hormones to manipulate the growth and development of plant cells. Their use in agriculture is regulated by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Five plant growth regulators are currently registered for use in viticulture and these are listed on page 21 of the ‘Dog Book’.

For grapes destined for export wine, the use of chlormequat or ethephon is not recommended. The AWRI advises that you contact your winery/grape purchaser prior to the application of any plant growth regulator.

For more information, please contact Marcel Essling on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Luxury workshops

25 October 2016 >

Building demand for high-end products in international and domestic markets

In November the AWRI is presenting a series of workshops that will help wineries enhance their profitability using luxury business strategy and design thinking tools.

Participants will learn how to move from products that sell based on price to those that consumers seek out independent of price.

Each workshop includes two sessions, one full-day and one half-day, held across two weeks:

  • The first session focuses on luxury business strategy and is presented by Dr Anne-Flore Maman Larraufie from the ESSEC Business School, France, at Ayers House in Adelaide, SA.
  • The second (half day) session focuses on understanding what it is that creates value for consumers of high-end wines and how to build it. This session is facilitated by George Peppou from the University of Technology, Sydney at the AWRI in Urrbrae, SA.

One of the workshops has been fully subscribed, there are two remaining workshops scheduled, with a 20-seat capacity:

  • Workshop 1 – all-day session on 14 November; half-day session on the afternoon of 23 November
  • Workshop 2 – all-day session on 18 November; half-day session on the morning of 24 November

Registration is $825 (inc GST) per person. To book a place, click on the links below:

book-now-wk1-350px book-now-wk2-350px-2

For more information, check out the workshop program on the AWRI website or contact Gregoire Patacq on 08 83136600 or gregoire.patacq@awri.com.au.

Technical Review October 2016 issue available online

20 October 2016 >

The October 2016 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
AWRI publications
  • Why wine innovation must become cool again
  • Optimal conditions for controlling haze-forming wine protein with bentonite treatment: investigation of matrix effects and interactions using a factorial design
  • Patterns of within-vineyard spatial variation in the ‘pepper’ compound rotundone are temporally stable from year to year
  • Wine as GxE: effect of temperature on vine and fruit phenotype
  • Delayed pruning: a tool to counteract warming effects – Barossa Shiraz vineyard and wine case study
  • Influence of polysaccharides on the taste and mouthfeel of white wine
Current literature – oenology
  • Qualitative study of alcohol consumers who choose to avoid wine
  • It’s great in theory but does 'lean manufacturing' match the Aussie culture?
  • The case for ACE – maceration trial continues
  • Basket pressing – the art of being different
  • Determining optimum harvest time under Mediterranean conditions: developing a new model for measuring L-malic acid concentration in red grapes
  • Effect of different ageing techniques on the polysaccharide and phenolic composition and sensorial characteristics of Chardonnay white wines fermented with different selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains
  • The permeation of cork revisited
  • Key points of the bottling process: study at 17 wineries identifies impacts on total package oxygen
  • Alternatives to glass packaging: what are the effects on the sensory properties of wines?
  • The impact of smoke from vegetation fires on sensory characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from affected grapes
Current literature – viticulture
  • Global change, sustainability and challenges for grape and wine production
  • Vineyard apps – don’t leave home without them
  • Ripeness (part 1)
  • Advances of the Vineyard of the Future initiative in viticultural, sensory science and technology development
  • Influence of berry diameter and colour on some determinants of wine composition of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling
  • A comparison of vine training and trellis systems and for minimal pruning – part 1
  • Pros and cons of early defoliation of the white cv. Vitis vinifera Doral in the Leman region (Switzerland)
  • Various fungal communities colonise the functional wood tissues of old grapevines externally free from grapevine trunk disease symptoms
  • Effect of irrigation with diluted winery wastewater on phosphorus in four differently textured soils
  • Vineyard irrigation scheduling based on airborne thermal imagery and water potential thresholds

AWRI webinars – what’s coming up?

11 October 2016 >

11 October 2016

The 2016-17 AWRI webinar program is heating up! Quite literally, with an upcoming session looking at hot extraction as a tool for combating compressed vintages. Other topics coming soon include wine provenance, rootstock performance and the impact of MOG in Cabernet Sauvignon winemaking. Each webinar consists of a presentation followed by a Q&A session and is held at 11:30 am Australian Central Time (Adelaide, GMT+9:30), usually on a Thursday. All AWRI webinars are free to attend.

The next four webinars will be:

13 October 2016: Measuring up authentication: analytical tools to test wine provenance – Martin Day (AWRI)

20 October 2016: Does rootstock performance change with age? – Tim Pitt (SARDI)

27 October 2016: Hot extraction: a tool to manage compressed vintages?– Simon Nordestgaard (AWRI)

3 November 2016: The impact of green berries and petioles on Cabernet Sauvignon wine – Paul Boss (CSIRO)

Register now or find out more at: http://www.awri.com.au/industry_support/courses-seminars-workshops/webinars/.

Registration confirmation
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 with an internet connection. Participants can dial in via phone using the provided number or audio can be connected over the internet using the computer’s microphone and speakers (voice over internet protocol – VOIP). Participants can also join a webinar via a smart phone or tablet. See here for details on downloading the required mobile app.

Questions or help needed? Please contact infoservices@awri.com.au or phone 08 8313 6600.

Weather update, managing waterlogged vineyards and additional re-entry period information

5 October 2016 >

5 October 2016

The AWRI recently distributed information on Managing vineyards after a wet winter and spring. Since then, several regions across New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria have experienced extreme weather in the form of damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flooding.

The Bureau of Meteorology has also just updated its seasonal outlook and information on current climate influences, with the latest information now available at the following links:

Current predictions for the October to December period include a strong chance for above average rainfall in southeast and northwest Australia and cooler days and nights.

At any stage of the season growers can access links to weather information and useful references from the AWRI Climate Adaptation webpage.

Waterlogged soil

A flooded vineyard or heavily waterlogged soil can be damaging to grapevines. The sooner surface water is drained or pumped away the better. Useful links on managing flood affected vineyards are provided below:

The full impact of flooding may not be apparent for some time after the event so monitoring is important. Slow grapevine growth after the water has cleared can be caused by:

  • Carbohydrate depletion in vines that have been waterlogged
  • Root death
  • Soil nutrient loss from leaching
  • Cold and wet soils.

Clay soils can set hard and become compacted after the water has drained. Action such as light cultivation or mulching may help alleviate this. Cover crops or permanent sward plants will help with the drying process as they use soil moisture, provide avenues for water to drain and reduce erosion.

Additional information on re-entry periods

Further information about re-entry periods after spraying has now been added to the online version of the ‘Dog book’. For each active constituent, the range of re-entry periods specified on labels of different products is now listed, rather than just the most stringent re-entry period. In all cases, growers should refer to the label of the product being used for specific re-entry period directions. Additional information about how to interpret the re-entry period information is included on page 22 of the ‘Dog Book’.

Need help? The AWRI helpdesk provides technical support and advice to Australian grapegrowers and winemakers. Contact the helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.

Managing vineyards after a wet winter and spring

23 September 2016 >

Winter and spring rainfall has been above average in many grapegrowing regions this year. This is positive for soil moisture levels, but may pose some problems with access to vineyard blocks and interruption of early season sprays. In such cases there is a risk that fungal diseases like powdery and downy mildew will take hold and become more difficult to control once normal spraying resumes. In a season like this, there are a number of factors to consider when getting into the vineyard to conduct the first few spray applications.

Things to consider

  • As soil temperatures increase, growers can anticipate vigorous early season growth due to high soil water content. More spray applications and/or different fungicides are likely to be required, especially during the early part of the season.
  • It’s important to ensure access to an adequate stock of fungicide, especially curative downy mildew treatments, in the event wet weather continues.
  • Higher than usual disease pressure caused by missed sprays and vigorous growth increases resistance pressure. It is essential to use fungicides from different groups to avoid fungicide resistance. Refer to the new CropLife resistance management strategies in the ‘Dog book’ or the CropLife website for more information.
  • The wet soil profile will stimulate midrow and undervine growth. Maintaining some of this growth will draw water from the soil profile, reduce vine vigour and help maintain soil structure under traffic. That said, excessively vigorous undervine growth will increase humidity and restrict airflow, which are important contributors to disease pressure.
  • In high disease pressure situations it’s important to take extra care with spraying and not cut any corners. Ensure that equipment is correctly calibrated and that spray coverage is complete.

Getting access to wet vineyards

  • The temptation to spray as soon as possible will be high, but safety should not be forgotten. Tractors and sprayers are more unstable on wet soils and adjustments should be made to minimise risks to personnel and equipment.
  • Soil compaction can be a significant issue when traffic resumes after wet weather. To minimise damage to soil structure, allow surface water to drain and ground to become firm before attempting any tractor passes. If possible, part-fill spray carts to reduce weight and minimise soil compaction.
  • For smaller areas, spray application via an all-terrain vehicle or knapsack sprayer may be the only option to access the block.
  • Aerial spraying may be a practical alternative in some situations. Growers need to ensure the product is registered for aerial application (refer to label) and neighbours are notified (as per state legislation). Growers should also consider the effectiveness of coverage and risk of off-target drift from aerial applications.

Medium-term weather outlook

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast for spring is for average rainfall. The main factor contributing to the recent wet weather (a negative Indian Ocean Dipole) is weakening and any La Niña event (typically the cause of wet conditions) is predicted to be short and weak. For more detail about this watch the recent spring outlook on the BOM website.

Need more information?

  • A series of spray application workshops will be held across South Australia and Victoria in October. To find the closest workshop to you, visit http://www.grapeandwineevents.com.au/.
  • Fact sheets on spray application, pests and disease and other relevant topics can be found on the AWRI and Wine Australia websites.
  • The AWRI helpdesk provides technical support and advice to Australian grapegrowers and winemakers. Contact the helpdesk on 08 8313 6600 or email helpdesk@awri.com.au.