Particularly in regions like McLaren Vale, where El Niño years can bring drier conditions and higher temperatures, fungicide spraying becomes indispensable. These weather patterns can lead to water stress in vineyards, hampering nutrient absorption and growth regulation in vines. Warmer temperatures can also accelerate grape ripening, affecting sugar levels, acidity and aromatic complexity.
This year, the weather has been unusually warm, causing vine development to outpace previous seasons. Recent overcast weather has been favourable for powdery mildew infections, which we’ve seen beginning to form within the vine canopies. If you experienced significant Powdery Mildew infections last year, it’s crucial to monitor your vines closely for flagshoots and leaf infections. Implementing effective spray coverage is essential to prevent further spread! Our commitment to sustainable practices and client well-being drives us to provide specific advice tailored to your vineyard’s needs.
While we’ve recently had some much-needed rainfall, it’s essential to remember that we’re still behind the long-term average for precipitation. This rainfall has boosted soil moisture levels, but we’re nearly 200mm behind last season. As we head into summer, maintaining a vigilant fungicide spraying regimen remains crucial to vineyard health and productivity.
At Pridham Viticulture, our three decades of experience in the wine industry have taught us that adapting to changing conditions and embracing innovative solutions is key to success in vineyard management. Get in touch to learn more about the benefits of a custom fungicide spray program.
A well-maintained bore delivers high-quality water that is crucial for crop health. Contaminated water can introduce pathogens, affecting vineyard health. Effective bore maintenance promotes
efficient water use, reducing wastage and supporting environmental sustainability—a value that aligns well with modern viticulture practices. Regular maintenance helps in early detection of
problems, avoiding the high costs associated with major repairs or replacement.
Periodic visual inspections of the bore, pump, and related equipment help identify issues such as corrosion, blockages, or wear and tear. Over time, mineral deposits and bacterial colonies can form, reducing water flow and quality. Cleaning processes like airlifting, acidizing, or using specialized bore brushes can help address these issues. Frequent water testing for parameters like pH, salinity, and microbial content can help in implementing appropriate treatments or preventive measures. Maintaining a bore log that includes details of maintenance activities, water levels, and test results is valuable for troubleshooting and long-term planning.
Bore maintenance is not just a technical requirement but a strategic activity that impacts productivity, prosperity, and the environment. By adopting a proactive approach, businesses in the
viticulture sector can ensure they reap the rewards of a well-maintained bore system. Take the time today to evaluate the health of your bore system; your vines—and the environment—will thank you.
Should you require assistance in bore maintenance and monitoring, please contact us.
Key advantages associated with the fertigation include: efficient nutrient distribution; cost and time effectiveness; environmentally responsible; flexible and customisable; and improvements in soil structure.
1. Efficient Nutrient Distribution: Fertigation ensures that fertilisers are evenly distributed across the soil and vine area that the irrigation system covers. Combining irrigation with fertilization, nutrients reach the root zone directly, optimizing their absorption and uptake by the vine. This promotes consistent growth and better yield.
2. Cost & Time Effective: Precise control over nutrient and water application means fertigation minimises waste. This reduces the overall usage of fertilisers and water resources, resulting in significant cost savings. Combining irrigation with fertilisation also saves labour and machinery time by automating processes that would require separate applications.
3. Environmental Responsibility: Traditional fertilising methods can lead to excessive nutrient overuse and runoff which can harm sensitive nearby areas such as waterways. On the other hand, fertigation reduces this risk by delivering nutrients directly to the vine roots zone.
4. Flexibility and Customisation: Fertigation allows for flexible adjustments and modifications to the fertiliser program during the growth cycle. Nutrient concentrations can be customised to meet the specific needs of different varieties or variables in growth stages.
5. Improved Soil Structure: By avoiding the overuse of traditional fertiliser applications, fertigation maintains soil health by preventing the build-up of harmful salts, reduces soil compaction, and helps maintain a healthy pH balance. The soils integrity is maintained which encourages long-term productivity and vineyard health.
Fertigation is a modern farming technique which encompasses efficiency, productivity, and environmental care. It aligns with the principles of sustainable agriculture that we highly values at Pridham Viticulture, providing our clients with innovative solutions for the wine, horticultural, and agricultural industries.
Embracing fertigation will contribute to a future of farming that is prosperous, sustainable, cost effective, flexible and environmentally responsible. It’s a worthy investment in the health and success of our vineyards and crops.
Contact our Irrigation Manager Byron at 0420 976 880 to book a time to explore your fertigation options and improve your irrigation systems and operations. We are here to help.
Pridham Viticulture recognizes the shift from wet La Nina conditions to the impending dry cycle of El Nino, leading to hotter and dryer weather conditions affecting the agriculture industry.
To tackle this challenge, we emphasize the importance of proactive planning and investing in robust and reliable irrigation infrastructure, systems, and strategies.
By maintaining irrigation infrastructure, Pridham Viticulture aims to reduce water loss due to system breakdowns and inefficiencies. This approach ensures a steady water supply to crops, even during challenging climatic conditions. Moreover, adopting smarter irrigation schedules will optimize crop water uptake while minimizing water evaporation, maximizing resource efficiency.
With water allocation limits expected to come under pressure, we recognize the need for forward planning and strategizing to make the most out of the limited water resources available. This can involve securing additional water allocations and leveraging weather forecasts to plan irrigation schedules intelligently.
By focusing on sustainable and efficient irrigation practices, Pridham Viticulture aims to mitigate the negative effects of the predicted hot and dry weather conditions, safeguarding their agricultural operations and ensuring a fruitful harvest despite the challenges posed by El Nino.
Contact our Irrigation Manager Byron at 0420 976 880 to book a time with us to explore options to improve your irrigation systems and operations. We are here to help.
Good ecological ideas can spread fast if we want them to – the biggest challenge is operator change management. Operators like the tools and machinery they’re used to – it’s a comport thing. Changing to sustainable electric equipment is becoming more wide spread (the pace is increasing) but there’s a long way to go before it becomes common place.
Why is this? Pridham Viticulture have recognised there are infrastructure concerns in the transition from fossil fuel to electric such as the establishment of efficient charging stations and equipment holding areas. As a supplier and service agent for Pellenc Battery Powered Tools we can assist in the development and implementation of these systems and are passionate about moving towards a green future.
Get in touch to see how we can help you upgrade your fleet.
Are you are interested in converting some of your vineyard to mechanized olive production and diversifying your farm income?
The system and methodology of SHD have been proven in Europe and US. Typically, the growing method uses purposely developed cultivars allowing for mechanization, low labour requirements and earlier return on investment.
The conversion can use existing vineyard infrastructure. Harvesting is done using conventional grape harvester systems.
Demand for olive oil is increasing worldwide therefore olive processing plants are keen to engage in term supply contracts.
Expressions of interest please follow link and fill in form.
The product range is fully serviceable allowing years of intensive use when maintained.
These are not throw away tools, when the product comes to the end of its lifecycle it becomes a new resource.
When you use a Pellenc product you can be assured the equipment design has recycled elements and an end of life ability to be recycled and repurposed.
Pridham Viticulture are a registered sales and service agent for Pellenc, giving professional advice on Pellenc products.
We are based in McLaren Vale SA and sell and service to all regions of Australia. Our company have been operating for 30 years in the region. We are here to stay, so you can trust us.
Contact us via our website or give us a call, we love a chat.
The Pellenc C35 & C45 Secateurs are Fast, Powerful, Built to last, and feature Activ’Security – the latest in Safety Innovation.
Plus we will have the full range of market leading battery powered horticultural green space equipment on show. View our Pellenc Shop.
To celebrate the launch of the C35 & C45 in Australia, we would like to invite you the Launch event being held in McLaren Vale :
Hosted by Pridham Viticulture
When: Wednesday 1st February 2023
Time: 9am to 12pm
Where: McLaren Vale Visitors Centre
796 Main Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171
RSVP: bpridham@pridhamviticulture.com.au
The droughts will happen again as they always do so this is a reminder to plan for the years ahead, as a war time President once said “Plans are worthless but planning is everything”.
Due to more difficult wine industry trading conditions there are a host of good quality programs to help grape/wine businesses. A couple worthwhile ones to note are the Podcast series “Healthy minds healthy vines” look it up its worth listening to the series.
The other is a government sponsored financial coaching program by The Rural Business Support network that’s worthwhile investigating call (FREECALL 1800 836 211). Give your business a health check.
Vintage 2023 forecast -Later than we have had for ages. Issue this season is the lack of secure grape contracts. This is a time to plan your finances and weather you decide to harvest or not. Remember rough cost per tonne to harvest and transport is around $500/t.
This will be a tough industry vintage. Planning and getting advice and opinions are crucial to planning the next 12 months.
Pellenc 2023 range -Always on the cutting edge with battery and tool technology a new vineyard C35 Vinion and the Orchard C45 pruning secateur will be available for 2023 that encompasses a host of new safety and efficiency features.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Current under vine strip management methods now vary from site to site and with differing soil types. The aim is to treat the soil kindly which encourages microbe and fungi build up and allows plant roots to grow and optimise soil volume.
The timing and choice of equipment and/or livestock are critical elements when promoting soil health. Methods used by Pridham Viticulture include under vine slashing, Disc dodge plough, ID David cultivator, knife weeder, side throw disc, finger weeder, selective cover cropping and sheep agistment.
Watch our under vine weeder in action
Successful viticulturists need to constantly monitor vineyard pastures, be mindful of vine growth stages, and plan for desired crop outcomes.
Without a deliberate pasture management plan your efforts may be costly and yields disappointing.
Give us a call at Pridham Viticulture for advice or help with planning and ideas for your blocks.
We have a wealth of experience in soil and under vine strip management and our systems and ideas are always evolving. Work with us to create a solution for you.
