Skip to Content Skip to Navigation

Connecting the agrifood innovation community around the world by providing a digital platform and a premier agrifood tech event.

Plant sensor-based precision irrigation for improved vineyard water use efficiency, grape and wine composition and quality, and vineyard profitability

This project will provide new tools to Australian grapegrowers to schedule irrigation based on real-time measurements of vine water status. Currently, growers schedule irrigation in vineyards using soil moisture sensing (an indirect measure of vine water status and water availability), visual techniques (observing vines for water stress symptoms) or based on weather and/or historical irrigation regimes. These approaches often lead to either over- or under-watering of vines.

This project will build a remote sensing platform to characterise vine-based water status across a vineyard block. Prototype thermal sensors and micro-tensiometers will be developed and the sensors validated against conventional and established methods of vine water status to provide growers with a new platform to continuously measure vine water status and provide real time support to optimise irrigation application in vineyards.

Project date

1 Jul 2018-30 Jun 2022
Visit website

Principal investigator

Pagay, Vinay

Research organisations

The University of Adelaide (UA)

Project funded by

Multiple industries
Fruits Other rural industries Wine

Wine Australia

Wine Australia helps foster and encourage profitable, resilient and sustainable Australian winegrape and wine businesses by investing in research and …

Multiple industries
Fruits Other rural industries Wine
  • Location

    Australia

  • Organisation type

    Research funding body

Logo for Wine Australia

Related tags

Focus areas

Industries

Sustainabilities

Related research projects

Search all research projects
Logo for Volatile compound insights: Flavour attributes of current and future commercial significance to growers and winemakers
Wine

Volatile compound insights: Flavour attributes of current and future commercial significance to growers and winemakers

Understanding the formation and fate of key volatile compounds is a core capability that requires continuation in our sector, as these compounds provide researchers and producers with quality targets for improvements in vineyard and winemaking practices. Volatiles contribute specific varietal and regional characters and contribute greatly to the overall in-mouth sensory experience. The volatiles of wine can be the mark of its quality for a consumer when drinking or the basis of its rejection and are influenced at every stage of handling or processing. At the core of an innovative sector is the ability to understand and measure key volatiles, while developing practices to influence or control flavours associated with wine quality and style.
  • Funded by

    Wine Australia

  • Project date

    17 Jun 2022 - 30 Jun 2026

  • Research organisation

    The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)

Logo for Genetic diversity of Australian wine grapevine germplasm
Wine

Genetic diversity of Australian wine grapevine germplasm

Grapevine planting material represents a major investment and critical production asset for the Australian wine industry, but the genetic diversity that is present in Australia is poorly understood. Furthermore, while grapevine cultivars can be unequivocally typed by ampelography and/or genetic tests, clonal identification solely relies on the tracing of supply records to the point of origin. Such records are not always available or reliable, particularly for older accessions. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides the most highly detailed methodology for defining grapevine cultivars and more importantly, clones of those cultivars.
  • Funded by

    Wine Australia

  • Project date

    17 Jun 2022 - 30 Jun 2024

  • Research organisation

    The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)

Have questions?

Find out how we can help you.

Find answers to our most frequently asked questions on research projects, commercial opportunities, organisations and more. 

Still have questions or have feedback on the site? Please get in touch by completing our enquiry form. 

Frequently asked questions Enquire now