Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/210765
GRAPEGROWING and its articulating arms (one on either side of the trailer-mounted device) reach out to make the appropriate cut. They are beta-testing this equipment in two hemispheres and hope to have a commercial product in two years or less. The company is called Vision Robotics. I continue to be intrigued by sap-flow devices and dendrometers for use in plantbased water-status measurements. Instantaneous measurements utilizing data loggers that do not require technicians or time-ofday-sensitive sampling, as are required with pressure-bomb readings, will provide a greater number of data points to refine the use of agronomic software, thereby improving irrigation scheduling to further enhance wine quality. Current techniques are labor- and time-intensive and lack the automation required to farm large blocks. W&V: You've said in the past that some newer machinery has its drawbacks and isn't necessarily better than the tried-andtrue. For example, you have mixed feelings about electrostatic sprayers. What are the drawbacks and the appropriate uses? McIntyre: I do have mixed feelings about electrostatic sprayers. On one hand, they provide superior coverage and theoreti- Steve McIntyre worked as a winemaker and viticulturist before starting the vineyard management company Monterey Pacific. cally reduce amounts of pesticides and fungicides required on a per-acre basis. While this seems to be true with applications related to the monitoring of insect populations prior to treatment under an integrated pest management program, the current technology can be troublesome for prophylactic applications for organisms such as powdery mildew. Most pest control on the Central Coast takes place at night to avoid problems associated with our infamous wind. With electrostatic technology, it is critical that the droplet leave the nozzle with a "charge" in order for the plant to attract the oppositely charged droplet. Should the electrostatic technology that ionizes the droplet fail for even a few seconds, the treated vines would not receive sufficient coverage. Under this nighttime scenario, it might be very difficult for an operator to sense there was a problem with the system. Consequently, if there were enough coverage lapses due to intermittent (or worse) electrostatic failure, a grower might have to re-treat a block when he or she determines the material did not kill the intended target. With mildew control, a grower wouldn't know there was a problem until there was an infection, which everyone knows is very difficult to deal with after the fact. Until such time as the system has redundant fail-safe reliability, it should be limited to organisms with an economic population threshold greater than zero. I prefer airblast sprayers, especially in our infamous wind. W&V: What are you doing to prepare for labor shortages in the vineyards? Food and Beverage ADVANCED WINEMAKING SOLUTIONS, NOW AVAILABLE ALL IN ONE PLACE. JOIN US! Booth 1507 January 28-30, 2014 Sacramento, CA Together, we can keep favor at it's peak. Protecting quality and taste for 50 years Rely on Parker domnick hunter for consistent and reputable fltration performance to optimize your wine making products. Contact us for a free technical assessment of your process. Claristar® - a natural solution for Tartrate Stability (KHT). Available exclusively from Scott Laboratories. Parker domnick hunter | Process Filtration North America: +1 877 784 2234 email: dhpsales.na@parker.com Europe: +44 (0)191 4105121 email: dhprocess@parker.com ENGINEERING YOUR SUCCESS. www.parker.com/dhwine www.scottlab.com • info@scottlab.com 54 W in es & V i ne s DEC E M be r 20 13