Viticulture

Managing soil salinity in groundwater irrigated vineyards

We combined samples taken during the project with those taken a decade ago to assess whether annual cycles of saline high SAR irrigation in summer and non-saline low SAR rain in winter had caused an increase in soil sodicity and salinity. Above average winter rain in 2011 reclaimed sodic and saline soils. This indicated that any change in soil structure wrought by a decade of these cycles was not yet a significant impediment to leaching of salts and (more)...

Oxygation

Oxygation involves mixing atmospheric air with irrigation water using a venturi and delivering it via a surface or subsurface drip irrigation system.

Increasing competition on supply of fresh water for irrigation by agricultural, domestic, sports and industrial users demands water use efficient irrigation methods and compliance with environmental regulations.

Guidelines for Managing Soil Salinity in Groundwater Irrigated Vineyards

 This report outlines the key findings from the project:

• Rainfall percolation is the key to sustaining supplementary irrigation with saline groundwater
• At 25 years of age, salt excluding rootstocks have equal or better yield than own rooted vines and half the fruit chloride
• Soil water extractors give fast and cheap guidance on vineyard salinity status

Guidelines for Managing Soil Structure in Irrigated Vineyards

Good soil structure is essential for healthy, resilient plants because it allows them to develop extensive, active root systems. This promotes efficient use of water and nutrients, encourages biological activity and cushions plants against drought and other hardship.

The general perception of a soil with good structure is that it is well-drained, easy to penetrate and crumbles readily into aggregates of about 1-10 mm that remain intact when they are wet.

Subsoil structure in irrigated Australian vineyards

Good soil structure is essential for healthy, resilient plants because it allows them to develop extensive, active root systems. This promotes efficient use of water and nutrients, encourages biological activity and buffers plants against drought and other hardship. It is a neglected, but vital component of soil fertility.

Long Term Sustainability of Precision Irrigation - Vineyards

This case study looks at improving water use efficiency and earlier flavour ripeness in the vineyard.

Managing Soil Salinity for Wine Quality Groundwater Irrigated Vineyards

This case study looks at root zone and salinity monitoring and the potential impact of seasonal conditions on vineyard production.

Root Zone Water, Salinity & Nutrient Management Under Precision Irrigation Project

This case study looks at how to retain fertilisers in the 30cm soil zone in vineyards.

Long Term Sustainability of Precision Irrigation

This report details the research identifying the causes and the decline of soil structure under irrigation drippers in the Barossa Valley vineyards. Irrigated vineyards in Australia have seen extensive adoption of drip irrigation. At the start of this project there was concern about the sustainability of drip irrigation based on previous field observations. Drip irrigation conserves water but the concentrated nature of its application was believed to cause serious soil structural (more)...

Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions in the Fractured Rock Areas

This report entails the component of works undertaken in the Wilyabrup catchment, located in the south west of Western Australia, near the town of Cowaramup and Smith Brook catchment located in the south west of Western Australia immediately south of the town Manjimup. These catchments were selected as they are both reliant on reliable water supplies to sustain established agricultural and viticultural systems.