Vine and vineyard water requirements workshop

Abstract

This report concerns a workshop convened by the Grape and Wine R&D Corporation to identify priorities for research aimed at further enhancing water use efficiency. In attendance were researchers and industry practitioners from three Australian states.

Summary

At the outset participants agreed that a major goal of the wine industry was strategic water management to increase grape quality and that this would be assisted by a greater understanding of vine water requirements which could lead to more finely-tuned irrigation scheduling.

To meet this goal it was recommended that research attention be given to: investigation of plant-based sensors to determine water needs to reduce reliance on soil-based instruments; development of an improved understanding of stomatal conductance across varieties and different growing conditions (including vapor pressure deficit); re-evaluation of total vineyard evapotranspiration; development of irrigation systems able to take account of vineyard variability; incorporation of remote sensing and precision viticulture in vineyard management; and determination of the volume of soil from which water could be readily extracted, with consideration given to soil types and rootstocks.

The outcome has been the funding of projects which, to varying degrees since the 2002 workshop, address these matters.