SERIC

Viticultural Solutions: assessing relative vine vigour

In early 2009, discussions between SERIC and the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia led to an agreement to share data and to cooperate where possible in projects of mutual interest. SERIC provided the Phylloexera Board with the complete South East imagery data set to assist in the regular monitoring of the states' vineyards  for the destructructive Phylloxera louse.

Since then SERIC has provided a service to Limestone Coast vineyard owners or contractors who have been referred on by the Phylloxera Board. The South East imagery program, flown in January/ February 2008 captured imagery in a number of spectral bands (red, green, blue and infra red), which not only provides the option of true colour imagery but also the use of near infra red in the assessment of plant water content. There is a significant correlation between vine water content and relative vine vigour. Low vine vigour is a characteristic that can be a response to many factors, lack of water, soil influences, disease, pests, such as phylloxera or nematodes or limiting layers in the root zone. Aerial assessment of vineyard blocks can indicate the spatial distribution of vines which are not performing to expectations and may provide clues as to why this is happening.  

Precision Viticulture

Combining the tools of GIS with those of Global Positioning  has given rise to the development of Precision Viticulture, where on ground data is captured, processed and analysed to provide advice, solutions to problems and in the end to maximise the value derived from the many inputs that go into modern grape growing and wine making. An example; with the increasing use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on board mechanical harvesters, yeilds and grape quality can be monitored and matched across spatially referenced vineyard blocks to identify those areas with high , medium or low crop and quality potentials.