Riverina vineyard dendrometer and sap flow demonstration
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Through the Wine Australia Riverina Regional Program, NSW DPI, Riverina Wine Grape Growers and Edaphic Scientific have installed a sap flow (Figure 1) and dendrometer (Figure 2) demonstration in the Griffith Centre for Irrigated Agriculture vineyard.
The project will demonstrate how phytomonitoring measurements of sap flow (estimation of total plant water use) and the use of dendrometers (measuring changes in trunk diameter) can be used for informed irrigation scheduling and management decisions.
Between fruit set and veraison (EL 27–35) vines use about 35% of their annual water requirements. Irrigation techniques such as regulated deficit irrigation (replacing approximately 25 to 50% of ETcrop) and partial root-zone drying can be used to save water and positively affect berry quality.
Figure 1. The sap flow meter attached to a vine.
Figure 2. A dendrometer attached to a trunk.
Useful resources:
- National Program for Sustainable Agriculture Regulated deficit irrigation and partial rootzone drying
- Department of Water and the Grape Wine Research Development Corporation Water management for wine grapes in a drying environment
- Agriculture Victoria Managing grapevines with less water in the Mallee.
In both Chardonnay and Shiraz varieties, this demonstration will evaluate the vines response to:
- full irrigation
- reduced irrigation
- no irrigation
between EL 27–35 and the subsequent vine stress and grape quality during summer heatwaves.
The demonstration design is in Figure 3.
Figure 3. The demonstration design of the Shiraz and Chardonnay vineyards.
Further information:
- NSW DPI Dendrometers and plant growth monitoring
- NSW DPI Grapevine sap flow monitoring
- NSW DPI Grapevine Management Guide 2019–20 Developing heatwave management strategies through grapevine phytomonitoring
- NSW DPI Grapevine Management Guide 2018–19 Heatwave management in Riverina vineyards: 2017–18 sap flow and dendrometer demonstration
- Edaphic Scientific (video) Sap flow: An introduction
- Edaphic Scientific The sap flow digest.
Contact and enquiries:
Adrian Englefield
E: adrian.englefield@dpi.nsw.gov.au
M: 0428 324 099
