Monitoring

Vineyard Monitoring

Our monitoring service comprises several components including:

Monitoring involves collaction information about disease pressure, pest populations, nutritional requirements, optimal harvesting dates, crop yield, vine vigour and phenological growth stages for use in making management decisions. Other add-on services such as bud fruitfulness and soil sampling and analysis (pH and EC) are also available. Consistent, industry-accepted procedures of examining the vines and soils are carried out which allows potential problems to be identified in the vineyard before they occur. Sound monitoring protocols ensures that management decisions are based on reliable and accurate data.
Monitoring is carried out on a per management unit basis with management units being defined by variety, soil type, and if required, irrigation station. In some cases blocks can be combined for pest and disease scouting depending on block size.

Pest and Disease Monitoring

Pest and disease monitoring involves repeated observations for pests and/or diseases over a large area. This is carried out fortnightly starting from budburst through to autumn and involves observations, counts and trapping. Should monitoring detect disease activity not immediately recognisable, plant material will be sampled for assessment by a laboratory. A report is left onsite after each visit.

Nutritional Status

Vine nutritional status is assessed by petiole analysis. Petioles are collected, sent to a laboratory for analysis, and the results used to formulate a nutrition program. The results are entered into our database so that values can be tracked over subsequent years.

inflorescence primordia

Crop Estimation

The first estimate of crop yield is made early in the season before flowering and is based on bunch counts and historical bunch weights. The second estimate is made close to veraison or when the purchasing winery requires the information and involves weighing bunches.

Vine Performance

Pruning weights are collected from representative vines in each management unit in order to determine vine vigour and balance to help set the required crop level. Other phenological data is collected during the season to assist in scheduling vineyard operations and to provide data for management decisions.

Fruit Maturity Sampling and Analysis

Fruit ripening is assessed by determining berry sugar, acid, and pH from bunches sampled from the vineyard. This is carried out during the last stages of the ripening phase in order to determine the optimal harvest date and to assess fruit quality. Additional data including berry size and colour (for red varieties) is also collected as further indices of fruit quality. Colour analysis is performed at an independent laboratory.

Bud Fruitfulness, Primary Bud Necrosis and Mites

The determination of bud fruitfulness through dissection provides an insight into whether low bunch numbers and/or primary bud necrosis is likely to compromise yield for the forthcoming season. If so, causes for these developments can be reviewed and decisions made with respect to pruning levels so that yields are optimised. The presence of mites is also recorded at the same time. The results are entered into our database so that values can be tracked over subsequent years.

Soil Sampling and Analysis

Soil samples are taken from the vineyard and analysed in order to assess the acidity (pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) of the soil. The results are used to formulate a soil management program and entered into our database so that changes in these soil properties can be tracked over subsequent years.

If you would like more information on these services, please contact our office and we will direct you to the appropriate person:

Phone: (08) 9756 8011
Fax: (08) 9756 8033