Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/95545
GRAPE GRO WING a 10-acre vineyard block in St. Helena in 2006, we decided to contract their services to remotely operate and monitor the whole 20-acre ranch. Ranch Systems allows us to operate irrigation valves as well as to moni- tor soil moisture at different soil depths. Not only that: It operates the 12 irrigation valves that we have in the ranch, but also collects very valuable information that we use in fine- tuning irrigation frequencies and amounts." He said the software was easy to use and partnered with good customer service. Networks bring benefits While standalone stations are powerful, the biggest benefits come from integra- tion with other stations nearby. Picovale Services is a consulting firm specializing in accurate data collection and dissemina- tion for the agricultural community. Picovale's weather-monitoring and alert services provide accurate real-time weather information at what the company calls an affordable price. Utilizing direct satellite communication and solar power, the weather stations can be placed anywhere in a field where there is a clear view of sky. The company's online web interface provides the mechanism to retrieve real-time weather information Powdery Mildew Index of weather stations and environmental monitoring systems since 1995. Adcon systems typically used in vineyards include: • Weather stations for climate monitoring and disease risk assessment. 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Terra Späse maps the Napa Valley region. and includes various models for pests, irrigation and disease management. Additionally, it has included an interface to provide alerting capabilities when critical weather thresholds are met. Another supplier of networked stations is Terra Späse of St. Helena, Calif. It has been a reseller of the Adcon Telemetry line • Soil moisture monitoring stations for irrigation management. • Frost alarm devices for protecting vines from early season cold. The McCrometer companies recently acquired Adcon Telemetry, giving Terra Späse customers access to a wider range of vineyard-related technology including water level sensors, flow meters and supervisory control systems allowing the remote operation of valves and switches. Terra Späse operates extensive networks of Adcon devices in Napa and Sonoma counties. Typically, customers enter into a data-sharing agreement to use data from other customers' weather stations in exchange for making their data available to other users. The weather station data are collected, archived and, in many cases, made available for sale. Terra Späse has assembled a historical data set covering Napa and Sonoma counties that dates back to 1996. (Continued on page 46.) Building a Better Nursery, Block by Block Quality and selection are growing at Vintage Nurseries Recently Vintage Nurseries began establishing new mother blocks with 2010 Protocol Material just released by FPS UC Davis. And, to keep up with demand, we are planting on 100 acres of virgin soil never used for grape growing before, to ensure the cleanest young vines available. That's the Vintage Nurseries way... improving excellence block by block. 661-758-4777 Wasco Santa Rosa 707-542-5510 Paso Robles 805-237-8914 209-523-8036 Modesto 44 WINES & VINES DECEMBER 2012 Table Grape and Raisin Industries www.VintageNurseries.com Serving the Wine, 800-499-9019 Unified Symposium. Booth # Visit us at the 1520