Grapevine Irrigation
Management
Dr. Robert L. Wample
April 1, 2004
Management
(Webster’s Dictionary)




To handle or direct
with a degree of skill
To treat with care
To alter by
manipulation
To achieve one’s
purpose (goal)
Wisdom
Knowledge
Information
273 0 32
273K 0C 32F
Irrigation Management
No More RDI!
Eto x Kc = Etc
Soil moisture
+
Water potential (Plant
water status)
Information
Knowledge
Wisdom
Grapevine Irrigation Management
Plant Water Status
And
Physiological Response
Soil Moisture
Management
Evaporative Demand
Eto x Kc = Etc
Grapevine Irrigation Management
Plant Water Status
Pressure chamber
Shoot growth rate
Leaf temperature
InfraRed and Air Temperature
Measurement

Objective:
Simultaneous
measurement of leaf
and air temperature
 Supplement or
replacement of
pressure chamber
 Geolocation of data
 Fast (~ 10 seconds)

Grapevine Irrigation Management
Eto (class “A” pan or calculated)
Published information
Weather Stations
Crop Coefficient (Kc)
Published Information
Eto x Kc = Etc
(expenditures)
Larry Williams Technique (% shade area at
solar noon X 0.017) + cover crop if present
Grapevine Irrigation Management
Neutron Probe
Capacitance Probes
Tensiometers (?)
Soil Moisture
Soil Sampling Tube
(bank account)
Shovel
Steel Rod
Grapevine Water Requirements

When:
 budbreak
to flowering
(<5%)
 flowering to fruit set
(15%)
 fruit set to veraison
(60%)
 veraison to harvest
(20%)
 harvest to leaf fall (dormancy) (3-5%)

How much Irrigation:
 On
a worldwide basis 0-30 acre-inches
Grapevine Irrigation Management

Developing an irrigation plan
 setting
goals for your vineyard
 acquire information
 Eto,
 Kc,
 precipitation(total
and seasonal)
 know your soils (variability)depth, profile, water
holding capacity, infiltration rate (This is the vines
“water bank account”)
 evaluate your water supply (reliability, quality)
 Plant water status
Grapevine Irrigation Management

Developing an irrigation plan (cont.)
 know
your vines
 rootstock,
root system
 general health (nematodes, phylloxera, etc.)
 understand
 deposits
the “banking system”
(precipitation and irrigation)
 withdrawals (evaporation, transpiration)
 bank charges (bound water, deep percolation,
impenetrable barriers)
Grapevine Irrigation Management

Developing an irrigation plan (cont.)
 understand
the “economics of water use”
 changes
in seasonal withdrawals
 benefits or costs of low balance
 the ability to increase your bank balance


timeliness
quantity
 UNDERSTAND
YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Grapevine Irrigation Management
THERE ARE NO SILVER BULLETS
 THIS IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT
 REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE
ANNUAL CYCLES OF GRAPEVINE GROWTH,
DEVELOPMENT AND PHYSIOLOGY
 GRAPEVINES ARE VERY TOLERANT OF WATER
STRESS

3.5
Available Soil Moisture
3.0
ETp
Soil Moisture with irrigation
equal to ETp beginning
mid June
Acre-Inches
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
0
5
10
15
Weeks Beginning April 1
20
25
30
NIR SPECTROSCOPY
AND WINEMAKING
BRIMROSE CORP OF AMERICA
Baltimore, Maryland USA
What is NIR?
Radio
UHF
Infrared
Mid
=
400 750 2.500
16.000
Near
1.000.000 nm
Small portion of electromagnetic
spectrum (700-2500 nm)
 No sample preparation -- direct
measurement on bulk sample
 Non-destructive

Long
1
Vis
Micro
Medium
Ultra violet
IR
Short
X
UV
Cosmic Gamma
What is NIR?
Simultaneously measurements for
different properties within second(s)
 Can measure chemical and physical
properties
 Good for all sample types --solids,
liquids, powders, slurries, pastes, gels,
gases, etc.

How AOTF Acousto-Optic Tunable
Filter scans NIR spectrum
Scans extremely rapidly by the
very nature of piezoelectric pulsing
White light
Zero order beam
RF MHz
Why Acousto Optic Tunable Filter
(AOTF) Spectrometer?
AOTF Analyzer






VS
Scanning speed: 30-40 spectra per
second (16,000 wav/sec)
Solid state, no moving parts
High signal to noise
No Wavelength re-calibration
required
Capability to measure in Ambient
light
Miniature, robust design
Traditional Scanning
Monochromators






Scanning speed: 1
spectra per second
MANY moving parts
Good signal to noise
Wavelength re-calibration
required frequently
Ambient light can be
problem
Laboratory based
BenchTop design
APPLICATION CALIBRATION
Collect samples
 Acquire spectra with spectrometer
 Test samples to acquire reference data
 Add spectra and reference data to model
 Create prediction program

Advantages of AOTF-NIR
Analyzers
Portable: vineyard and/or cellar
 Ease of use
 Real-time Simultaneous
measurements
of different properties
 Connectivity with GPS
 Downloads to computer system via WIRELESS
ETHERNET connection automatically
 Economical, year round use
 Allows for individual research and calibration

CURRENT APPLICATIONS FOR
RIPENING GRAPES
Measures sugar (degrees Brix)
 Measures pH
 Measures titratable acid
 Displays results as a frequency
distribution

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR
RIPENING GRAPES
Gross phenolics
 Tannins
 Anthocyanins/ color
 Berry texture, cell wall
breakdown
 Fructose/glucose ratio
 Seed hardness

Thank you