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TE CHNOL OG Y View video in the Wines & Vines Digital Edition. Print subscribers can opt in via the Subscribe page on winesandvines.com Wireless Water Sensing Sensor network saves water and improves grape quality By Thomas Ulrich Ridge Vineyards uses a sap-flow meter from Fruition Sciences to evaluate the health of vines at its Monte Bello Vineyard property near Cupertino. of vines planted at the winery's Monte Bello Vineyard in Cupertino, Calif. The vineyard team collaborated with techni- cians from Fruition Sciences to build a network of sensors that reduces water consumption and improves the quality of the grapes. D The simple but powerful design helps vineyard managers create a comprehen- sive vision for determining the health of a vineyard and irrigating much more efficiently. Sensors measure sap flow and wirelessly transmit data to a modem that relays information to a web server in staccato-like bursts. The server calculates transpiration rates, gathers data from a Ranch Systems weather sta- tion located at Ridge Monte Bello and remotely sends information that Gates can access from his desktop computer or other web-connected device. From there, Gates can evaluate the health of the vines by analyzing charts and tables that the sensors and the Fruition Sciences server update hourly. 30 Wines & Vines JULY 2011 avid Gates, vice president of vineyard operations at Ridge Vineyards, has installed a so- phisticated tool for tracking field conditions and measur- ing the transpiration rates "The results are a perfect integration of soil, root system and atmospheric condi- tions," he says. Gates began collecting sap-flow rates from five acres of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2009. The vineyard team strapped sensors to four vines planted on a southeasterly facing slope. "We chose the block because I thought that the vines could need water between veraison and harvest," he says. The sensors send electricity through a resistor that transmits heat to the vine as sap rises from the roots to the leaves. Several thermocouples embedded in a sleeve that wraps around the arm of a vine record a change in temperature as the resistor heats the sap. Highlights • Data from sap-flow meters and weather stations create a comprehensive vision for determining the health of a vineyard and how much to irrigate. • Sophisticated electronic tools can mea- sure transpiration rates of the vines and keep track of field conditions. • Vineyard managers can access field and weather data using any web-connected device. "The thermocouples measure precisely how much heat is displaced by the sap," explains Thibaut Scholasch, vice president of research and development at Fruition Sciences. "Knowing how much heat is be- ing displaced due to the motion of water, it is then possible to calculate how much water is flowing inside the vine." A slow sap-flow rate signifies that water is moving slowly through the vine, a condition that translates into a high vine water deficit that can weaken the plant and dehydrate the fruit. A fast sap- flow rate is a sign that water is passing quickly through the vine, a condition that indicates a low vine-water deficit, which can invigorate the plant but dilute the color, flavor and varietal character of the grapes. Gates regulates irrigation from ve- raison until harvest to produce grapes with a high surface area-to-volume ratio. (The skin contains most of the color and flavor-producing compounds.)