Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/347498
72 p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d a U G U S t 2 0 1 4 g r a p e g r o w i n g Environmental benefits of tunnel sprayer Spray drift is reduced up to 99% in the narrow vertical shoot position canopy. There is less operator exposure than occurs with an air-blast sprayer. Spray material volume is decreased 40% and more for a Botrytis spray that is directed only at the clusters. Diesel emissions can be reduced since a low horsepower tractor is required to power the tunnel sprayer. Limitations for a tunnel sprayer Any tall pole in the vine row such as weather station or utility pole means that vine row cannot be treated with the over-the-row sprayer. Hillside vineyards or terraces where vine row heights differ cannot be treated. The tunnel sprayer requires a larger turning radius than an air-blast sprayer, which may require wider headlands. The tunnel sprayer is not suitable for head-pruned vines or a wide horizontal, divided canopy. As a result of these issues, about 10% of the Unti Vineyard acreage is still treated with an air-blast sprayer. Cleaning the tunnel sprayer creates no real problems. As with any sprayer, the tunnel sprayer should be cleaned prop- erly every day with approved tank cleaner for the inside and scrubbing with soap and brush on the outside. A pres- sure washer can also be used, but caution is needed as the tank and spray and recy- cling lines are plastic. Unti concludes, " The savings in pesti- cide material, labor and fuel when using a tunnel sprayer compared to an air-blast sprayer pay for the added cost of a two- row tunnel sprayer." Constellation Wines' Sonoma County vineyards Constellation Wines is committed to sus- tainable grape production and integrated pest management (IPM) in its 1,400 acres of vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. "All vineyards are monitored for pests weekly," reports Tom Gore, director of Constellation Wines' Sonoma County vineyards. Miticides and insecticides are only applied if the pest pressure poses signifi- cant economic risks. The spray program relies almost entirely on fungicides with 21-day spray intervals and 1% mineral oil. All spray applications treat two rows at a minimum, and most cover three or four rows using electrostatic sprayers. No miticides were applied in 2013. Before mineral oil was incorporated into the spray program, mite outbreaks occurred annually. Grape leafhoppers seldom require treatment, and Gore pushes the pest threshold as far as possi- ble to avoid the need to treat. Blue-green sharpshooters (BGSS) are monitored. Constellation has done ripar- ian revegetation with native plants that are not Pierce's disease hosts in sharp- shooter hot spots. If BGSS trap counts begin increasing to 20 to 50 BGSS per trap, imidocloprid is applied through the drip along the vineyard perimeter. Owl boxes and raptor perches are installed at the rate of one each per 40 acres, and vineyards less than 40 acres have one owl box and raptor perch. Two weather stations are deployed, and the data are accessible by neighboring growers through the Western Weather Group website, west- ernwx.com/sonoma, a service provided by the Sonoma County Winegrowers. Three cover crop mixes are seeded into vineyards. A soil-builder mix is used on low-vigor sites, a clover/cereal mix on average-vigor sites, and perennial/ annual grass mix on high-vigor sites. Cover crops are allowed to reseed before mowing unless growth is tall and the vineyard is prone to frost events. In frost-prone vineyards, dwarf legumes are used to minimize cover crop height. unti Vineyards uses a recirculating two-row tunnel sprayer. See more nets in our 2010 catalog online @ www.spectrellising.com 800-237-4594 Quality Counts When The grower-friendly SideneT PermaNet • Reduced installation costs – leave permanently attached to wire • Reinforced edges with eyelets for easier installation • Long lasting (10-year UV warranty): reduces replacement net costs • Small mesh size offers sunburn protection while allowing airflow • 100% lockstitch design eliminates tears, thread separation, bird damage • Extra heavy yarn construction for extreme durability PermaNet Gives You All These Benefits: Introducing