Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/210765
GRAPEGROWING sprayer tanks. Another oft-mentioned use is a drone with a digital camera and/or an infrared sensor to look for stressed vines or pest outbreaks. The limiting factor here is not our ability to fly a drone over the vineyard and collect data with a camera or sen- What encourages rapid adoption? I am not trying to imply that viticulturists are luddites. They are not. Certain technologies have been adopted by a large percentage of growers. Equipment such as mechanical harvesters, mechanical While there are many reasons why growers do not take advantage of computer software technology, I feel they are all related to the perception of limited value its use will bring to their farming. sor but our ability to interpret the data. Entomologists have been trying for decades to use remote sensing from aircraft (or satellites) to detect stressed plants or pest problems before they occur. Up until now, sensing technology has not been good enough to detect the problem before it is too late—in other words, before the pest population has gotten out of hand. So for now, about the only application I can see an average grower wanting to use a drone for (at least in California) is to equip one with a camera to keep an eye on the irrigation pumps and keep thieves from stealing the copper from them. pruners, low-volume weed sprayers, weed-seeker sprayers, electrostatic sprayers and leaf-removal machines were in wide use soon after they were developed. I have been trying to figure out what these pieces of equipment have in common that would encourage rapid adoption. One thing is that a grower does not need to collect and analyze a large amount of data to figure out if using this equipment provides value. With labor being the most expensive input for almost all viticulturists, growers are seeking labor-saving devices that work well for practical viticulture tasks and do not require too many growing seasons or much observation to conclude there is a healthy return on investment. Using technologies such as farm-management databases or drones can be more challenging to justify, either because there are no obvious metrics to help determine ROI and/or it takes a lot of data and analyses to do so. I think it is understandable why some technologies are way ahead of mainstream adoption. New technology tends to be expensive, and most wine grape growers are reluctant to try it out unless there is an obvious and relatively immediate measure of ROI. Therefore, life as we know it will continue—including having to read all the trade and popular press headlines that trumpet the next new device as one that is going to revolutionize viticulture. Dr. Cliff Ohmart serves as vice president of professional services for SureHarvest. He is the author of "View from the Vineyard: A practical guide to sustainable winegrape growing," published by the Wine Appreciation Guild. Previously he served as research/ IPM director at the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission. We're Getting Bigger So You Can Get Better Visit Unife us at the d Sym posiu Boo m. th #15 20 Vintage Nurseries...growing with your success in mind. Day after day, we plant and plan at Vintage Nurseries, expanding our product selection and service to meet your growing needs. In an effort to be a reliable source for all of our customers, we strive to maintain the highest standards in the industry. Quite simply, the bigger we get, the harder we work to keep your success and satisfaction our top priority. Wasco— 661.758.4777 Paso Robles — 805.237.8914 Santa Rosa — 707.542.5510 800.499.9019 • www.VintageNurseries.com Modesto — 209.523.8036 Serving the Wine, Table Grape and Raisin Industries Win es & Vin es D EC EM b er 20 13 39