Grape Farming Articles & Analysis
23 articles found
In California’s sun-soaked vineyards, where the wine and table grape industries are cornerstones of the state’s agricultural economy, powdery mildew remains a relentless adversary. Caused by the fungal pathogen Erysiphe necator, powdery mildew is one of the most pervasive and damaging diseases in viticulture, affecting both the yield and the market quality of grapes. Once ...
Wine grape production is both art and science and proper soil and vine nutrition is essential for top production of high-quality wines. In this field test, AZOMITE was added as a single spring-time application to the soil fertilizer program at a leading winery. AZOMITE was applied by banding the product along the side of each row of vines. After aging for 24 months, the wine grown with AZOMITE ...
Canary Island Grape Trial: AZOMITE was placed on one half of a vineyard that was to be cut down and replanted because the previous years’ plants had low flower yields. AZOMITE was applied to both the soil and sprayed on the leaves and vines. ...
Plant growth regulators are inspired by a class of plant metabolites called plant hormones. They can be extracted from plants or chemically synthesized. Most plant growth processes can be affected by plant growth regulators, such as flowering, fruit formation, ripening, fruit drop, and defoliation. Plant growth regulators are widely used in agriculture and horticulture to obtain specific ...
While augmentative releases of beneficial insects and mites are becoming increasingly popular in vineyards, it is still rare to find a grower in California with over a decade’s worth of experience using augmentative biological control. David Gates is the senior vice president of vineyard operations at Ridge Vineyards, a winery with a facility in Sonoma County and another one in the Santa ...
2-minute read To achieve the desired quality of wine, grapes need to be harvested at a specific maturity level. A key determinant of maturity is grape sugar levels. In simple terms, sugar levels at the time of harvest determine the alcohol content of the wine produced, but it goes beyond that to affect the characteristics and temperament of the wine. Predicting when grapes reach the desired ...
As viticulturists and grape growers know, understanding current and future soil moisture content is a prerequisite for taking actions to reduce crop variability, optimise water usage, and tackle irrigation problems. Adequate soil moisture is critical for ensuring fruit quality. Water stress and over-vigorous growing conditions can result in inferior fruit quality and reduce profitability. ...
![Precision viticulture technology a key to producing premium quality wines in changing climate [part 1]](https://d32zuqhgcrpxli.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJlZS1maWxlcyIsImtleSI6ImZpbGVzLzExMTU3Mi9pbWFnZXMvMTExNTcyXzBfMjAyMDEwMDgxNDQ2MDMyODkxMTk4XzQwMC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsiZml0IjoiY29udGFpbiIsImJhY2tncm91bmQiOnsiciI6MjU1LCJnIjoyNTUsImIiOjI1NSwiYWxwaGEiOjF9LCJ3aWR0aCI6MjQwLCJoZWlnaHQiOjE0NX19fQ== "Precision viticulture technology a key to producing premium quality wines in changing climate [part 1]")
Wines are made in the vineyard, which is especially true for premium quality wines. A study by Orley Ashenfelter from Princeton University revealed that the quality of the top Bordeaux vintages is predicted by the weather during the grape growing season. The price follows quality, and as every winegrower tends to maximize profits, it is crucial to work on producing premium quality wines while ...
Pesticide/fungicide and liquid foliants and fertilisers are a crucial aspect of vineyard management. Sprays keep your vines disease-free, which helps you always produce top-quality fruit. By producing the very best grapes with every harvest, you'll maximise your earnings each time. Both amateur and veteran viticulturists still suffer from inefficient spraying practices, which is not only a ...
Vineyards only need to attach the camera to their existing farm vehicle, and GreenView performs all the measurements. Collect data on their vines' progress. ...
Is it the right time to transition to organic grape growing? “Farmers in general are busy farming. It’s really hard to change some practices unless there’s an immediate return on it because the risk of farming is so great,” emphasizes Greg. ...
Challenge This is the case of one of India’s leading farmers’ producer company consisting of a collective group of 8000+ marginal farmers who grow fruits and vegetables on less than one hectare of land. They started growing grapes with the intent to sell the same to exporters and were faced with the challenge of meeting the strict requirements on traceability, ...
In a previous post we discussed how Grapevine Leafroll disease affects grapevines but to quickly recap, Grapevine Leafroll Disease is one of the most common and persistent grapevine diseases; it can have devastating impacts on a vineyard, delaying fruit maturity and dramatically reducing fruit quality, pigmentation, vine vigor, and yield. With no cure for Leafroll, infected vines must be removed ...
ByVineView
Now that you know the difference between NDVI and EVI, and five ways to improve wine quality using VineView’s vine vigor products, it’s time to discuss when you should be collecting this important data, and how often. The right timing and frequency can help maximize the information and insights you gain from your aerial imagery. Aerial imagery can be such a valuable visual tool ...
ByVineView
The wine industry has been using aerial imaging to measure vine vigor for decades. It is becoming more and more common for vineyard managers to use vigor maps to support their decision making in the field. These maps most often use the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to measure vine vigor. NDVI has been the standard in the wine industry since the Mondavi Project in 1992. NDVI is a ...
ByVineView
Have a conversation with any of the world’s leading winemakers and one thing will quickly become apparent – good wines start on the vine. Vineyard managers know the value of having boots on the ground, constantly scanning for problems throughout the vineyard and ensuring optimal growing conditions for the vines. A high level of attention to detail in the vineyard is one of the best ...
ByVineView
Grapevine leafroll disease (GLD) is one of the most common and persistent grapevine diseases, present in all grape-growing regions of the world, and affecting up to 50 per cent of vineyards globally.1 It is a viral disease caused by a small insect called the grapevine mealybug, which are known to be carriers of Grapevine leafroll associated Viruses (GLRaVs). The mealybug has a needle-like mouth, ...
ByVineView
Raisins are produced commercially by drying harvested grape berries. In order for a grape berry to dry, water inside the grape must be removed completely from the interior of the cells onto the surface of the grape where the water droplets can evaporate. ...
Company: Summerhill Road Vineyard Location: Bungendore, Australia Product: Agrilaser Autonomic Reason: Grape damage due to birds In use since: March 2016 Situation before The Summerhill Road vineyard, located within the Canberra Wine District of Australia, grows grapes for the purpose of producing premium quality, cool-climate wines. Birds, such as Starlings, Cockatoos, Currawong, Crows, ...
Growing grapes is no easy feat, especially when birds love to snack on grapes. It’s important to protect your crop, but also important to select the option that works best for you. Learn which options are best to protect your vineyard and your profits from pest birds with these methods. Utilize Scare Tactics There are many scare tactics that can be used for bird control. From scarecrows, ...