Image: Australian and New Zealand Winemaker and Grapegrower April 2023 This is the second in a series of four articles for Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker magazine. After looking at the definition of Synthetic Biology, I turn to the regulatory framework governing biotechnology application in Australia and in the EU. I also considerContinue reading “Synthetic Biology – regulatory frameworks”
Category Archives: sustainability
Grapegrower and Winemaker: Fungicide Resistance
Field sample collection for rapid testing. Image credit: Lincoln Harper, Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University Botrytis, powdery mildew and downy mildew cost the wine industry more than $200 million dollars each year according to Wine Australia estimates. In this article I look at two techniques for managing pathogen populations in the vineyard.Continue reading “Grapegrower and Winemaker: Fungicide Resistance”
Synthetic Biology – could it benefit the wine industry?
This is the first in a series of four articles looking at Synthetic Biology. First up, I look at how Synthetic Biology is defined. The science of Synthetic Biology has continued to evolve in recent years, much like the definition itself. Collaborative and interdisciplinary, Synthetic Biology draws on mathematical and computational, biomolecular, chemical and physicalContinue reading “Synthetic Biology – could it benefit the wine industry?”
Halliday Wine Companion Magazine: Technology and Tradition
Croptide sensors at Stoneleigh Vineyard, Marlborough, New Zealand. Credit: Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Bringing technology and tradition together in perfect harmony hits the right note for the future of wine. From smart watches for vines to self-driving tractors, technology is helping producers improve their green credentials while focusing on what they do best – creating aContinue reading “Halliday Wine Companion Magazine: Technology and Tradition”
Wine Industry Advisor: Greenhouse Gas Calculator
Image supplied by Meridian Institute on behalf of IWCA. Credit: open license photo by Ben Goode sourced via Canva. In my first article with Wine Industry Advisor I take a look at how a greenhouse gas calculator developed in the USA has been adapted for the specific emissions factors in New Zealand and Australia. ClickContinue reading “Wine Industry Advisor: Greenhouse Gas Calculator”
Sap flow pruning
Winter activities in the vineyard are underway in the southern hemisphere and interest in sap flow pruning is increasing as growers investigate the benefits offered by this method. Click here to read about who has implemented this method and what results have been seen so far. Image: Vines pruned using sap flow method at PlaceContinue reading “Sap flow pruning”
Robots in the Vineyard: Innovation in powdery mildew treatment
As growers look to reduce synthetic inputs in the vineyard, two recent developments in science and technology offer alternatives for combating powdery mildew. To read more click here. Thorvalds in vineyard in Santa Maria. Image credit: Kristoffer Skarsgård
Grapegrower and Winemaker: Managing cover crops
Cover crops at Felton Road, Bannockburn, Central Otago. Credit: Gareth King Scientific research has benefitted greatly in the last decade from advances in technology. As a result, previously agreed paradigms in some areas of research have shifted. Understanding the role living plants have to play in cover crop management is one such example. To readContinue reading “Grapegrower and Winemaker: Managing cover crops”
Grapegrower and Winemaker: Irrigation
Croptide sensor in situ Cloudy Bay Marlborough. Credit: Cloudy Bay Water management is an increasingly visible part of sustainability and this is pushing the wine industry to review current irrigation practices in a bid to reduce usage. To read about the new technology and scientific research being used to manage irrigation in New Zealand vineyards,Continue reading “Grapegrower and Winemaker: Irrigation”
Grapegrower and Winemaker: Sowing cover crops
Cover crops at Felton Road, Bannockburn, Central Otago. Credit: Gareth King, Felton Road There are many reasons to plant cover crops and if they are to be part of vineyard management, then the first task will be determining which sowing method is best suited to the site in question. Informed decision making in the earlyContinue reading “Grapegrower and Winemaker: Sowing cover crops”