In seeking better ways to communicate with you about our Advanced Wine Assessment Course, we’ve launched a new Twitter account.
We expect that people who have undertaken the course in the past or people who are interested in doing the course in the future, will find some value in communicating with us via Twitter. We hope you find this an easy way to keep in touch with what’s on offer from the AWAC – including potentially new refresher courses – but also for you to have an input in the development of the AWAC.
We look forward to connecting with you, follow us on Twitter @The_AWRI.
In conjunction with industry partners, the AWRI has officially launched the PinotG Style Spectrum – a simple labeling device allowing consumers to identify the styles of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines at a glance, before they purchase or open the bottle.
The ‘Spectrum’ represents cutting-edge science which is believed to be a world-first in being able to ‘fingerprint’ wine style, and then graphically represent that style on a wine label.
The launch has generated a great deal of press attention to date, with articles appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, Weekend Age, the Weekend Australian magazine, and the Australian Financial Review, with many web-based articles also appearing in a total of six different countries.
Why PinotG? The Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris variety has been known in Europe since the Middle Ages, chiefly in the Alsace region of northeastern France and in northern Italy. Traditionally, the style of wines produced in northern Italy and labeled Pinot Grigio have been crisp and zesty, while Alsatian wines, labeled Pinot Gris, have been luscious and rich in texture. However, in Australia, a wide range of wine styles are being produced, which has caused confusion. Some wines are crisp and zesty, others are luscious and rich in texture, and some show every conceivable combination of these characteristics. Consequently the name of the variety used on the label is difficult to relate to the wine style in the bottle.
Our tasting panels, which included many Australian winemakers, agreed that some wines were crisp and zesty, while others were luscious and rich, and others showed combinations of those attributes to varying degrees; in fact a ‘spectrum’ of styles was identified.
We then sought to define objectively what caused those differences in the wines, using spectral analysis, and found differences in things such as the flavor molecules, phenolic compounds, and grape-derived acids in the wines; the various concentrations of which could be thought of as a wine’s ‘fingerprint.’ That spectral ‘fingerprint’ looks at everything in the wine, and is a different concept than looking at and thinking about just a few compositional parameters to explain sensory differences between wines.
The broad range of Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio wines which were tasted were put through spectral analysis and advanced statistical techniques were used to find correlations between the spectra obtained and the tasters’ ratings of the crispness to lusciousness of each of the wines. That information was used to build a spectral calibration, so that it is now possible to predict accurately the rating of a trained sensory panel for a wines’ crispness to lusciousness using a scan, thereby positioning the wine on the PinotG Style Spectrum.
Wine producers who would like to investigate using the PinotG Style Spectrum on their labels should contact Peter Godden (Peter.Godden@awri.com.au). More information is available at http://www.PinotG.com.au
It’s filtration time prevent those uninvited guests
In September many wineries are filtering their wines ready for bottling. It is essential the correct grade of filtration is used to avoid unwanted guests. Click here to read the article.
A forum to support wineries with technology uptake
Want to improve your winemaking processes to improve your bottom line, but not sure where to start? What processes can be improved and how can you get more from your supplier? Join our forum.
Successful implementation of technology in the winemaking process has been critical for the Australian wine industry. Technology has provided the tools for Australian winemakers not only to craft high quality wines reliably and reproducibly, but also to do it in an economical manner with minimal environmental impact. However, significant opportunities still exist for the Australian wine industry to make the most of advanced manufacturing approaches that are commonplace in highly engineered industry sectors, such as the automotive and mining industries. Australia’s ongoing success in the wine sector will depend on our ability to harness technology as part of our value proposition in the market place.
The AWRI Commercial Services have established a Winery Operations Improvement Forum to explore opportunities for advancement of the wine industry through adoption of new technologies as follows:
Understanding barriers to uptake of technology.
Identification of common applications between wineries that technology provides a strong value proposition.
Review and evaluate the critical process performance criterion and the technologies needed.
Establish a forum in which wineries can generate pull technologies from technology suppliers in a cost effective manner.
Our first Winery Operations Improvement Forum meeting was held on 13 July. Eighteen winery operations personnel attended across ten South Australian wineries. One of the key outcomes from the meeting was to establish themes of interest across the wineries for operations technology. The applications of common interest included:
Alternative cold stabilisation techniques.
Ullage management technologies.
Alternative maturation technologies.
Refrigeration technologies.
These areas will be established as themes for a series of quarterly forums; the first starting on 29 September focusing on Cold Stabilisation Technologies and Methods. The forum will aim to establish the following:
The utility and performance criterion requirements.
Available technology options and their relative merits.
Opportunities to build bridging technologies or new capabilities to meet operations needs.
Genuine carbon neutral wine recognised for sustainability
Confirming their wine is 100% carbon neutral through an extensive greenhouse gas life-cycle analysis by Karl Forsyth from The Australian Wine Research Institute has paid off for Taylors Wines.
Taylors Wines has been announced as a finalist in the 2010 Australian Packaging Awards* in the category for the Carter Holt Harvey Sustainability Award. This is on the back of winning Best Green Launch at the 2010 Green Awards in London, run by Europe’s leading drinks publication, Drinks Business.
Taylors most recent recognition is for their Eighty Acres 100% Carbon Neutral range of wine products. “The life-cycle assessment considered every step of the supply chain associated with the 80 Acres product, from spray applications in the vineyard, the winemaking process to the consumer’s car journey,” says Forsyth. This detailed life-cycle assessment was then independently reviewed to ensure the work met the requirements of an international standard. The life-cycle assessment work is believed to be the most detailed and robust ever completed on a range of wine products.
The life-cycle assessment also considered the impact of packaging, which led Taylors to move towards a lighter packaging format, substantially reducing their overall emissions.
*The Australian Packaging Awards – organised by the Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) – are a national competition which recognises and rewards packaging design excellence across a diverse range of categories from FMCG to medical to wine and alcoholic beverages to fashion and cosmetics to industrial and agricultural goods.
Key messages from the AWITC inspire delegates
The Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference is over for another three years and most delegates came away inspired. Industry members from Australia and from more than 13 overseas countries had a feast on offer with workshops starting on the Saturday (2 July 2010); conference sessions, workshops, trade show and posters throughout the next few days; and concluding with workshops again on the Thursday. Click here to read the article.
AWRI poster wins top prize
With more than 200 posters on display, AWRI scientist, Dr Maurizio Ugliano, was delighted that his poster received ‘Best Poster Prize’ at the 14th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, held in Adelaide, South Australia 3-8 July 2010.
The technical poster display at the 14AWITC enables delegates to learn about a wide range of existing, new and emerging science and innovation being developed for the wine industry. Several posters were recognised for their quality, and prizes were awarded and announced during the conference sessions. Sponsored by the Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker, the Best Poster prize was awarded to Dr Maurizio Ugliano for his poster The role of copper and glutathione addition and oxygen exposure in the evolution of key aroma compounds of Sauvignon Blanc.
Grapegrower & Winemaker‘s Elizabeth Bouzoudis (L) and AWITC Poster Coordinate, Dr Eveline Bartowsky (R) congratulate ‘Best Poster’ winner Dr Maurizio Ugliano.
Botrytis bunch rot a winner for some
Katie Dunne, PhD Candidate of the University of Tasmania, was announced the winner of the Wine Innovation Cluster Best Student Poster Prize at the 14th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, held in Adelaide, South Australia 3 8 July 2010.
Ms Dunne’s poster presented the results of her research into botrytis bunch rot a disease affecting grapes particularly in cool climate wine regions causing losses in grape yield and wine quality. An experiment examining the spread of the disease indicated that there was little secondary spread of the botrytis infection from the initial location of the disease within a bunch of grapes to other grape bunches.
Supervised by Dr Katherine Evans of the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research at the University of Tasmania, and in collaboration with Dr Rob Bramely of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Ms Dunne plans to continue this research, examining the secondary spread of botrytis bunch rot in other vineyards.
Ms Dunne was awarded $1000 for her poster and thanked the Wine Innovation Cluster for its support of students presenting posters during the conference, saying “Winning the prize topped off what was a great week for me as there were lots of other great student posters”. The prize was presented to Ms Dunne by Dr Stuart McNab, Chair of the Wine Innovation Cluster and Director-Wine Production Australian and New Zealand of Fosters Group.
The Wine Innovation Cluster is a synergy of four leading grape and wine research agencies; The Australian Wine Research Institute, CSIRO Plant Industry, SARDI and the University of Adelaide, working in collaboration to deliver outcomes for the Australian wine industry.
Ms Katie Dunne, PhD Candidate and winner of the Wine Innovation Cluster Best Student Poster Prize and Dr Stuart McNab, Chair of the Wine Innovation Cluster.
Alex’s comments on AWRI website wins a netbook
Alex Miller, Viticulture Technical Officer from Voyager Estate, took time to give us feedback on the AWRI website at the recent WineTech 2010 and won a netbook!
Alex was one of many WineTech visitors who came to our stand and completed our questionnaire. The feedback we have received will guide our future development of the website, and we thank everyone who contributed. We hosted many visitors on our stand and enjoyed the discussions over the three days about the topics that are important to you. We’ve taken your valuable input back to the AWRI and this will be integrated into our future activities. If you have any suggestions on improvements you’d like to see on the AWRI website, send them along to us on infoservices@awri.com.au
Australian wine book picks up international ‘best book’ award
Australian wine book, ‘A Taste of the World of Wine’, was announced as receiving the OIV’s award for the best book in the category ‘Discovering and presenting wines’
Every year since 1930, the OIV rewards the best works published over the previous two years which provide an original and relevant scientific contribution, with an international significance for the vine and wine sector.
These works are evaluated by a panel of specialists (university professors, journalists, scientists, historians) under the presidency of the diplomat, poet and author, His Excellency FrantiŠek Lipka, currently Ambassador of Slovakia to Montenegro.
Published by Patrick Iland Wine Promotions, ‘A Taste of the World of Wine’ was co-authored by Patrick Iland, Peter Gago, Andrew Caillard and AWRI’s Viticulture Consultant, Peter Dry
Recent AWRI publications order now
Recent publications by AWRI staff can be requested from the John Fornachon Memorial Library. To get your copies, contact Anne, Ingrid and Sean at infoservices@awri.com.au
Bellon, J. Generating interspecific wine yeast hybrids for funky wines. Microbiology Australia (May) : 86-88 ; 2010.
Francis, L. Riesling in Australia. In : Helm, K., Burgess, T. (eds.) Riesling in Australia : the history, the regions, the legends, and the producers. Winetitles Pty Ltd. pp. 40-43 ; 2010.
Godden, P., Muhlack, R. Trends in the composition of Australian wine, 1984 2008. Australian & New Zealand grapegrower & winemaker (558) : 47-61 ; 2010.
King, E., Curtin, C., Francis, L., Swiegers, H., Pretorius, S., Bastian, S. Are yeast-derived flavour differences in young Sauvignon Blanc wines retained after a period of bottle age? Australian & New Zealand grapegrower & winemaker (557a) : 60-68 ; 2010.
Mueller, S., Osidacz, P., Francis, I.L., Lockshin, L. Combining discrete choice and informed sensory testing in a two-stage process : Can it predict wine market share? Food quality and preference doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2010.06.008 : 14 p. ; 2010.
Pretorius, S. Investing for gold medal results. Australian & New Zealand grapegrower & winemaker (557a) : p. 5 ; 2010.
Pretorius, S. Beyond collaboration. WBM (July) : 38-40 ; 2010.
Shah, N., Cynkar, W., Smith, P., Cozzolino, D. Rapid and real-time analysis of compositional parameters in commercial white grape juice. Australian & New Zealand grapegrower & winemaker (557a) : 74-76 ; 2010.
Smith, P., Dambergs, B., Mercurio, M., Robinson, E. The world is waking up to tannin values. Australian & New Zealand grapegrower & winemaker (558) : 62-64 ; 2010.
Waiter, is there histamine in my wine? Histamine in Australian wines a survey over 27 years (1982 to 2009) Australian & New Zealand grapegrower & winemaker (557a) : 69-72 ; 2010.
Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is comment of a general nature only and is not and nor is it intended to be advice on any specific technical or professional matter. In that the effectiveness or accuracy of any technical or professional advice depends upon the particular circumstances of each case, neither the AWRI nor any individual author accepts any responsibility whatsoever for any acts or omissions resulting from reliance upon the content of any articles. Before acting on the basis of any material contained in this publication, we recommend that you consult appropriate technical/professional advisers.
Be part of a new international closure benchmarking trial, run by the AWRI, testing the impact of closure technologies on a premium red wine. Make sure you dont miss out on the early bird rates by confirming your commitment by 27 August.
These innovative and collaborative trials are set to provide the definitive performance data that will help wineries to understand how closure performance can be managed to tailor the quality and style of wine products. Many wineries understand the significant impact closures can have on their wine quality and consequently invest significant resources in wine, labour and bottling line time for in house testing of closure trials. The AWRI now offers wineries the option of participating in our market survey-style red wine closure trial and obtaining strictly independent, technically robust and credible results for 10 popular closure technologies.
This major red wine closure trial will also provide participants with a cost-effective way of obtaining valuable insight into how closure oxygen transmission rate (OTR) drives chemical and sensory development and influences the consumer preferences for a premium Shiraz varietal.
This eBulletin provides an industry-endorsed recommendation for locust control. The information replaces that contained in the 29 July 2010 eBulletin.
Significant locust plagues have been predicted for south-eastern Australia over the coming spring and summer. The Australian Wine industry endorses the following strategy to mitigate the impact of Australian Plague Locust (APL) on grape and other crops. The strategy was developed in consultation with Department of Primary Industry (DPI) groups from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The aim is to control the ‘hopper’ stage and prevent swarming of the adult stage.
To minimise the risk of agrochemical residues in export wines, it is extremely important that no insecticide is sprayed on foliage or grapes. Follow the instructions below and contact your winery or grape purchaser to discuss control options after E-L 25, 80% caps off.
Your obligations
Throughout Australia, primary control of locusts is the responsibility of the landholder (Australian Plague Locust Commission). Failure to notify your DPI of the presence of locust hoppers or failure to treat locust hoppers may be in breach of legislation.
Locust control strategy
Growers are required to meet all label/permit requirements and follow the protocol outlined below. The following ground applied control strategy is targeted at the ‘hopper’ growth stage.
Monitor for emergence of hoppers from mid September, particularly where adults were observed laying eggs the previous season. Note that roadsides, tracks and areas of hard ground, as well midrows between vines need to be monitored.
It is in their nature that hoppers will stay close to the ground and will seek out open bare ground to warm themselves. If numbers are high enough, they will mass together before moving as a dense band onto surrounding ground vegetation. At this stage they cannot fly.
The best time to control APL is when these bands are formed. Apply pesticide (see table) directly onto hoppers and adjacent ground cover they are likely to move through when they have congregated together. This will occur when the hoppers are at a specific developmental stage (3rd instar) i.e. around 6 mm – 10 mm in size.
It is NOT necessary to spray entire vineyards, only spray where and when hoppers have banded together.
Use undervine or inter-row boom sprays. DO NOT USE air assisted or mister spray units when applying conventional insecticides (i.e. other than metarhizium).
When applying insecticide directly onto locusts and adjacent ground cover, drive slowly, keep the boom low and use nozzles that deliver at least a Medium droplet spectrum. Avoid the use of extended range flat fan nozzles. DO NOT SPRAY VINES DIRECTLY.
Continue to monitor hopper activity. Hopper bands may move in from neighbouring areas and additional sprays may be required. When respraying, follow label respray intervals.
If you must control hoppers in your vineyard after E-L 25, 80% caps off, contact your winery or grape purchaser to discuss control options.
Only apply chemicals that are registered for use in vines or have permit for the pest. It is important that chemical applicators ensure that products are approved for their crop/situation and if operating off-label under a permit that they obtain a copy and follow all the conditions of those permits.
Spray records need to be kept even if spray is applied to the ground, headland, vineyard roads or tracks.
The chemicals used for APL control are very toxic to humans (except metharizium) and full personal protective equipment (PPE) as per label directions should be worn during the spraying operations.
Note: In some States APL hopper control is mandatory and chemical rebates may be available. Conditions apply. Contact your local DPI for further details.
Adult locust
The above advice does not pertain to adult locust swarms.
Adult locust swarms are unpredictable and will not be attracted to vineyard foliage in the first instance. For this reason as well as the issues around residues in wine, disruption to IPM programs and worker safety, no preventative strategy has been developed for the control of adult locusts in vineyards. If you suspect you will be under pressure from locust swarms, contact your winery or grape purchaser for advice.
NOTE: Irrigated vineyards that are isolated in an otherwise arid environment are likely to be susceptible when locust swarms are near. It is recommended that you contact your winery or grape purchaser for advice if you are in this situation.
Notes on active constituents
It is important that chemical applicators ensure that products are approved for their crop/situation and if operating off-label under a permit that they obtain a copy of the permit and follow all the conditions.
While the active constituents listed in the table below will control APL hoppers, they are not all the same. Consult your winery or grape purchaser for preferred chemicals. Some may not be available due to high demand this season.
Metarhizium anisopliae is not a ‘knockdown’ insecticide and will take at least 8 days to take effect.
Options for ‘hopper’ control of APL
The following table lists the registered chemicals and current off-label permits issued for grapevines for the control of APL. It is essential that you read the conditions attached to the permit prior to use. The withholding period (WHP) advice is for control of the APL hopper stage.
Tas
NSW
Qld
SA
WA
VIC
WHP
fenitrothion
Registered
Use up to 80% capfall. Contact your winery or grape purchaser prior to further use.
* South Australian legislation allows use of a product where the use pattern is registered in another state. For further information contact PIRSA (08) 8226 0222.
** Victoria is not included under the various permits because their ‘control-of-use’ legislation means that a permit is not required to legalise off-label use in Victoria. It is recommended that you seek further advice from the Chemical Standards Branch of Victorian DPI by calling (03) 9217 4177 or emailing chemicalstandards@dpi.vic.gov.au.
Useful links
State specific information is available and it is advised that growers become familiar with the relevant website:
For further information: contact Marcel Essling, Viticulturist on email agrochemicals@awri.com.au or by telephone 08 8313 6600.
This information is provided to inform the Australian grape and wine sector of agrochemical information, and should not be interpreted as an endorsement
Be part of a new international closure benchmarking trial, run by the AWRI, testing the impact of closure technologies on a premium red wine. Make sure you don’t miss out on the early bird rates for commitment prior to 27 August.
These innovative and collaborative trials are set to provide the definitive performance data that will help wineries to understand how closure performance can be managed to tailor the quality and style of wine products. Many wineries understand the significant impact closures can have on their wine quality and consequently invest significant resources in wine, labour and bottling line time for in house testing of closure trials. The AWRI now offers wineries the option of participating in our market survey-style red wine closure trial and obtaining strictly independent, technically robust and credible results for 10 popular closure technologies.
This major red wine closure trial will also provide participants with a cost-effective way of obtaining valuable insight into how closure oxygen transmission rate (OTR) drives chemical and sensory development and influences the consumer preferences for a premium Shiraz varietal.
In a world-first, Australian producers of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines now have access to a simple labeling device which tells consumers the ‘style’ of the wine.
Called the PinotG Style Spectrum, the label indicates to consumers whether the style of the Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris wine is ‘crisp’ or ‘luscious’ or somewhere on a scale in-between. This gives consumers greater confidence in choosing a Grigio or Gris wine based on their own style preference.
The PinotG Style Spectrum has been developed by The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), in collaboration with some of Australia’s leading wine producers.
To qualify for a label, the wine is ‘fingerprinted’ by the AWRI, which scientifically quantifies where on the scale (between ‘crisp’ and ‘luscious’) the particular wine sits. The label is easy to understand for consumers considering purchasing Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines.
So why is there confusion about the Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris style? Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines are made from the same grape variety. Traditionally, the styles of wines produced in northern Italy and labeled Pinot Grigio have been crisp and zesty, with wines from Alsace, labeled Pinot Gris being luscious and rich in texture. In Australia, an extraordinary range of Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris wine styles are being produced, with some being crisp and zesty, others luscious and rich in texture, and others again showing every conceivable combination of those characteristics.
The PinotG Style Spectrum labels will be first released on 2010 vintage wines from Foster’s and Cellarmasters wines, with other producers to follow in 2011. Wine producers who want to investigate the option of using the PinotG Style Spectrum label on their Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris wine bottles should contact Peter Godden at the AWRI (tel: 08 8303 6600).
This agrochemical update has been issued to inform grape growers about their options for control of Australian plague locust and does not represent an endorsement of any product or procedure. It is recommended that grape growers contact their winery or grape purchaser prior to undertaking any chemical control measure.
Background
Locust will soon be emerging in many grape growing areas of southern Australia. In past locust plagues, grape growers have generally only had to deal with adult locusts flying in from breeding grounds farther north. This year, many vineyards are those breeding grounds.
Grape growers can expect to see hoppers (young locusts) emerge from roadsides, tracks and other areas of bare or hard ground where adult locusts laid eggs last autumn. Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA) and Department of Primary Industries – Victoria are encouraging land managers to control young hoppers early to keep numbers low.
As hoppers are mostly at ground level, control can be achieved by directly spraying the hoppers on the ground (inter row, fence lines, tracks) rather than spraying the vines.
State specific information is available and it is advised that growers become familiar with the relevant website:
Strategy for early season (hopper) control of Australian plague locust in vineyards
Monitor for emergence of hoppers on your property – particularly roadsides, tracks and areas of hard ground, as well as within the vines.
Hoppers are expected to stay close to the ground but may cause some damage to lower parts of the canopy, particularly as they develop.
Apply pesticide directly onto hoppers when they have congregated together in bands. This will occur when the hoppers are at a specific developmental stage (3rd instar). It is NOT necessary to spray entire vineyards, only spray where and when hoppers have banded together.
Using undervine or inter-row boom sprays or equivalent rather than air blasters and misters will direct the pesticide onto the hoppers rather than onto vines, reducing any potential impact of insecticides on vines and grapes.
Continue to monitor hopper activity as additional sprays may be required, and hoppers may move in from neighbouring areas.
Check with your winery or grape purchaser prior to any 1A or 1B insecticide application. Only apply chemicals that are registered for use in vines or have permit for the pest. It is important that chemical applicators ensure that products are approved for their crop/situation and if operating off-label under a permit that they obtain a copy of, read and follow all the conditions of those permits (including withholding periods that appear on product labels for the crop).
OPTIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF AUSTRALIAN PLAGUE LOCUST
The following table lists the registered chemicals and current off-label permits issued for grapevines for the control of Australian plague locust. It is essential that you read the conditions attached to the permit prior to use. It is recommended that you contact your winery or grape purchaser prior to the application of any chemical covered by an off-label permit.
NSW
Qld
SA
WA
VIC
WHP
fenitrothion
Registered
Use no later than 80% capfall. Contact your winery or grape purchaser prior to use.
* South Australian legislation allows use of a product where the use pattern is registered in another state. For further information contact PIRSA (08) 8226 0222.
** Victoria is not included under the various permits because their ‘control-of-use’ legislation means that a permit is not required to legalise off-label use in Victoria. It is recommended that you seek further advice from the Chemical Standards Branch of Victorian DPI by calling (03) 9217 4177 or emailing chemicalstandards@dpi.vic.gov.au.
*** Methidathion, a S7 chemical, cannot be used off-label in Vic unless a S25A permit has been issued by the Vic DPI. It is recommended that you seek further advice from the Chemical Standards Branch of Victorian DPI by calling (03) 9217 4177 or emailing chemicalstandards@dpi.vic.gov.au.
Contributors: Ken Henry and Peter Willmott (PIRSA) and Kevin Bodnaruk (AKC Consulting).
For further information: contact Marcel Essling, Viticulturist on email agrochemicals@awri.com.au or by telephone 08 8313 6600.
This information is provided to inform the wine industry of agrochemical product information, and should not be interpreted as an endorsement.
This agrochemical update has been issued to inform grape growers about their options for control of Australian plague locust and does not represent an endorsement of any product or procedure. It is recommended that grape growers contact their winery or grape purchaser prior to undertaking any chemical control measure.
Background
Locust will soon be emerging in many grape growing areas of southern Australia. In past locust plagues, grape growers have generally only had to deal with adult locusts flying in from breeding grounds farther north. This year, many vineyards are those breeding grounds.
Grape growers can expect to see hoppers (young locusts) emerge from roadsides, tracks and other areas of bare or hard ground where adult locusts laid eggs last autumn. Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA) and Department of Primary Industries – Victoria are encouraging land managers to control young hoppers early to keep numbers low.
As hoppers are mostly at ground level, control can be achieved by directly spraying the hoppers on the ground (inter row, fence lines, tracks) rather than spraying the vines.
State specific information is available and it is advised that growers become familiar with the relevant website:
Strategy for early season (hopper) control of Australian plague locust in vineyards
Monitor for emergence of hoppers on your property – particularly roadsides, tracks and areas of hard ground, as well as within the vines.
Hoppers are expected to stay close to the ground but may cause some damage to lower parts of the canopy, particularly as they develop.
Apply pesticide directly onto hoppers when they have congregated together in bands. This will occur when the hoppers are at a specific developmental stage (3rd instar). It is NOT necessary to spray entire vineyards, only spray where and when hoppers have banded together.
Using undervine or inter-row boom sprays or equivalent rather than air blasters and misters will direct the pesticide onto the hoppers rather than onto vines, reducing any potential impact of insecticides on vines and grapes.
Continue to monitor hopper activity as additional sprays may be required, and hoppers may move in from neighbouring areas.
Check with your winery or grape purchaser prior to any 1A or 1B insecticide application. Only apply chemicals that are registered for use in vines or have permit for the pest. It is important that chemical applicators ensure that products are approved for their crop/situation and if operating off-label under a permit that they obtain a copy of, read and follow all the conditions of those permits (including withholding periods that appear on product labels for the crop).
OPTIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF AUSTRALIAN PLAGUE LOCUST
The following table lists the registered chemicals and current off-label permits issued for grapevines for the control of Australian plague locust. It is essential that you read the conditions attached to the permit prior to use. It is recommended that you contact your winery or grape purchaser prior to the application of any chemical covered by an off-label permit.
NSW
Qld
SA
WA
VIC
WHP
fenitrothion
Registered
Use no later than 80% capfall. Contact your winery or grape purchaser prior to use.
* South Australian legislation allows use of a product where the use pattern is registered in another state. For further information contact PIRSA (08) 8226 0222.
** Victoria is not included under the various permits because their ‘control-of-use’ legislation means that a permit is not required to legalise off-label use in Victoria. It is recommended that you seek further advice from the Chemical Standards Branch of Victorian DPI by calling (03) 9217 4177 or emailing chemicalstandards@dpi.vic.gov.au.
*** Methidathion, a S7 chemical, cannot be used off-label in Vic unless a S25A permit has been issued by the Vic DPI. It is recommended that you seek further advice from the Chemical Standards Branch of Victorian DPI by calling (03) 9217 4177 or emailing chemicalstandards@dpi.vic.gov.au.
Contributors: Ken Henry and Peter Willmott (PIRSA) and Kevin Bodnaruk (AKC Consulting).
For further information: contact Marcel Essling, Viticulturist on email agrochemicals@awri.com.au or by telephone 08 8313 6600.
This information is provided to inform the Australian grape and wine sector of agrochemical information, and should not be interpreted as an endorsement
The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is calling for expressions of interest in two key international closure benchmarking trials.
These innovative and collaborative trials are set to complete the picture in the great closure debate. The aim of the trials is to provide definitive proof-of-performance data for a range of globally available closure products. This will allow wineries and suppliers to tailor the quality and style of wine products delivered to the consumer.
The AWRI pioneered ground-breaking research into the performance of commercial wine bottle closures in the 1990s and that work set the tone for a significant change in the use of closures by wineries around the world.
In recent times, closure manufacturers have focused on improving the quality and performance of their products, but wineries are in constant need of up-to-date independent, unbiased information on closure performance which will enable them to make an informed choice for protecting their wines.
A still white wine trial initiated in 2009 for an international group of wineries and closure suppliers is now starting to shed light on the closure performance characteristics which can influence white wine style and character. It is also helping to provide the missing link between the wine chemistry and the potential production of oxidative and reductive characters under screw-caps as well as natural, technical and synthetic cork products.
To complement this body of knowledge, the AWRI is undertaking a major red wine closure trial. This trial uses a unique market survey model, designed to satisfy the needs of both winemakers and closure suppliers and provides flexible and cost-effective access to proof-of-performance results. Participants will gain valuable insight on how the closure oxygen transmission rate (OTR) drives the chemical and sensory development of a premium Shiraz varietal. It will also establish the critical OTR required to mitigate the onset of reductive characters andquantify consumer preferences for the resulting wine styles.
Both trials offer a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to in-house trials. Wineries interested in being part of either trial should contact AWRI Commercial Services at commercialservices@awri.com.au or on +61 8 8313 6600. New closures can still be added to the red wine trial, but suppliers interested in participating in this ground-breaking trial must act fast as bottling is scheduled for August 2010.