Composted Mulch. Nurturing Semillon in the Hunter Valley

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1 Composted Mulch Nurturing Semillon in the Hunter Valley

2 Presentation Outline Background Demonstration Trials Soils temperature and moisture Bunchzone temperature Harvest 2010 yield and grape quality Conclusions (to date)

3 Semillon has a nightlife Source: Night-time values of stomatal conductance and transpiration in Semillon were up to four times higher than any other varieties. Rogiers et al 2009

4 Climate change Increase in mean temperature - Advances phenology, earlier budburst, shorter overall seasons and earlier harvests - Impacts to wine quality, individual grape varietals will be impacted differently o C expected change by o C increase a 1 in 10 warm year becomes 1 in 2; - 25% of the time conditions will be warmer than anything experienced before Increase in extreme temperature events - Crop loss or damage - Bushfire smoke taint - Frost damage on early budburst Changes in rainfall - Different varietal responses - Change in seasonal rain less in winter, spring? - Pest and Diseases very sensitive to rainfall - Increased evapotranspiration due to increased temperature

5 Why every degree o C matters! MORE LIKE HERE! SOURCE IN:

6 Current Vineyard floor practices Mid row cultivation and seasonally dependant sward establishment, retention and/or removal Herbicide application under the vine row and within mid row

7 Demonstration trials Hunter Valley Vineyard Mulch Trial- Funding provided by DECCW Semillon 3 sites commenced Aug 2009 in a side by side paired comparison Recycled Organic Composted Mulch and Compost Blend (80:20) AS4454 compliant Application rates- 5cm depth x 50cm width = approx 100m³/ha (3m row spacing) and 85m³/ha (3.6 row spacing)

8 Composted Mulch 80:20 blend

9 DEMONSTRATION SITES Annie Kavanagh and Andrew Pengilly inspect vine improvements in Tyrrell s VAT 1 block. Spreading at Braemore vineyard Mulched vines at Kurrajong Vineyard

10 GTBug installation Soil moisture tension was collected every 2 hours at 3 depths (20cm, 40cm and 80cm) and soil temperature at 10cm depth, prior to mulch application and up to harvest.

11 Soils Initial pre-mulch application soil sampling was conducted to ascertain a baseline for all sites. Tests were also carried out to evaluate nematode population densities

12 Soil Compaction: pre-mulch treatment Penetrometer Readings HV-VMT 2009 (site avg. n= 10) Soil Strength (kpa) Compaction at very shallow depths at 1 site Depth (mm) Tyrrell Kurrajong Braemore CRITICAL POINT At testing the critical point for root penetration is reached at very shallow depths at Tyrrell s site

13 Soil Compaction: nine months later TYRRELL'S PENETROMETER READINGS JUNE 2010 (treatment avg. n=10) 0 Soil Strength (kpa) DEPTH (mm) TYRRELL'S CONTROL TYRRELL'S MULCH TYRRELL'S ORIGINAL CRITICAL POINT At testing 9 months later the critical point is reached at lower depths. Mulch treatment providing reduced soil strength across the depth range

14 Buffering capacity of composted mulch KURRAJONG'S SOIL TEMPERATURE COMPARISON cm DEPTH SOIL TEMP 0 C 27/08/2009 3/09/ /09/ /09/ /09/2009 1/10/ /10/ /10/ /10/ /10/2009 5/11/ /11/ /11/ /11/2009 3/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 7/01/ /01/2010 Date CONTROL MULCH Mulch application shows immediate and continual effect on buffering diurnal soil temperature fluctuations from the 1 st day of application, 10/9/09 and beyond harvest 20/1/10 (5cm depth x 50cm width).

15 Soil temperature at other sites BRAEMORE SOIL TEMPERATURE COMPARISON TYRRELL'S SOIL TEMPERATURE COMPARISON cm DEPTH 10cm DEPTH /08/ /08/2009 6/09/ /09 / /09 / /09 / /09/2009 3/10/2009 8/10/ /10/ /10 / /10 / /10 /2009 4/11/ /11/ /11/ /11/ /11/2009 1/12/2009 7/12/ /12 / /12 / /12/ /12/2009 3/01/2010 8/01/ /01 / /01 /2010 DATE CONTROL MULCH Similar buffering capacity at Braemore throughout entire vintage /08/2009 2/09/2009 9/09/ /09 / /09/ /09/2009 7/10/ /10/ /10/ /10/2009 4/11/ /11/ /11/ /11/2009 2/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 6/01/ /01/ /01/2010 DATE CONTROL MULCH Minimal effect occurred once cultivation was practiced at Tyrrell s S O IL T E M P O C SO IL TEM P o C

16 Monthly weather observations BOM WEATHER OBSERVATIONS UNTIL HARVEST Cessnock Airport MONTH SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN RAIN (mm) (71.4) 23.6 ( 49.2) [118.8] HISTORICAL AVG (mm) EVAP (mm) TEMP min (7.7) 7.7 (9.1) TEMP max (41.0) 41.4 (41.9) MEAN TEMP min MEAN TEMP max NOTES: - ( ) figures represent Agwise data from Kurrajong site weather station - [ ] figure represents complete Jan 2010 rainfall

17 Soil tension reduced with mulch BRAEMORE SOIL TENSION COMPARISON cm DEPTH SOIL TENSION (kpa) /08/2009 2/09/2009 9/09/ /09/ /09/ /09/2009 7/10/ /10/ /10/ /10/2009 4/11/ /11/ /11/ /11/2009 2/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 6/01/ /01/ /01/2010 Mulch Applied DATE CONTROL MULCH Irrigations were withheld and reduced on mulched vines at Braemore only Control = 0.21ML/Ha vs. Mulch = 0.11ML/Ha (approx 50% savings in applied irrigation) Soil tension is lower as moisture is retained thus saving valuable irrigation water and associated costs

18 Soil tension across other trial sites KURRAJONG'S SOIL TENSION COMPARISON cm DEPTH TYRRELL'S SOIL TENSION COMPARISON cm DEPTH /10/ /10/ /10/2009 4/11/ /11/ /11/ /11/2009 2/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 6/01/ /01/ /01/ /11 / /11 / /11/2009 5/12/ /12 / /12 / /12 /2009 2/01/2010 9/01/ /01/ /01/2010 DATE DATE CONTROL MULCH S O IL T E N S IO N (k P a ) S O IL T E N S IO N (k P a ) CONTROL MULCH Mulch reduced soil tension and retained soil moisture at all sites at 20cm depth regardless of location and if irrigated or dryland

19 Soil tension 40cm Depth BRAEMORE SOIL TENSION COMPARISON cm DEPTH KURRAJONG'S SOIL TENSION COMPARISON cm DEPTH S O IL T E N S IO N ( kpa) SOIL T E N S I O N ( kpa) 0 0 4/11/ /11/ /11 / /11/2009 2/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 6/01/ /01/ /01/ /11/ /11/ /11 /2009 5/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 2/01/2010 9/01/ /01/2010 DATE DATE CONTROL MULCH CONTROL MULCH Mulch influenced soil tension and assisted in moisture retention at a depth of 40cm at Braemore and Kurrajong sites

20 Bare soil or mulched soil

21 Bunchzone temperatures

22 Daily average bunchzone temperatures 35.0 BRAEMORE DAILY AVERAGE BUNCHZONE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE AVG OF 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT TEMP o C /12/2009 3/12/2009 5/12/2009 7/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 2/01/2010 4/01/2010 6/01/2010 8/01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/2010 DATE DAILY AVG CONTROL TEMP DAILY AVG MULCH TEMP OVERALL AVG CONTROL TEMP OVERALL AVG MULCH TEMP A daily average difference of 0.6 o C between mulched and control vines from veraison to harvest Daily avg. dif of 0.2 o C and 0.5 o C also resulted at two other sites

23 Minimum bunchzone temperatures 25.0 BRAEMORE DAILY MINIMUM BUNCHZONE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE AVG OF 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT TEMP o C /12/ /12/2009 5/12/2009 7/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 2/01/2010 4/01/2010 6/01/2010 8/01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/2010 DATE DAILY MIN CONTROL TEMP DAILY MIN MULCH TEMP OVERALL AVG CONTROL TEMP OVERALL AVG MULCH TEMP Very little difference resulted across all sites at the minimum temperature with 2 sites (irrigated) 0.2 o C lower in mulched vines than control and 1 site (dryland) was 0.1 o C higher

24 Maximum bunchzone temperatures BRAEMORE DAILY MAXIMUM BUNCHZONE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE AVG OF 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT TEMP o C /12/2009 3/12/2009 5/12/2009 7/12/2009 9/12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/ /12/2009 2/01/2010 4/01/2010 6/01/2010 8/01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/ /01/2010 DATE DAILY MAX CONTROL TEMP DAILY MAX MULCH TEMP OVERALL AVG CONTROL TEMP OVERALL AVG MULCH TEMP A daily average reduction of 1.2 o C between mulched and control vines from veraison to harvest Daily reductions of 0.8 o C and 0.9 o C also resulted at two other sites

25 Hot Hot Heat BRAEMORE BUNCHZONE TEMPERATURE COMPARISON HIGHEST RECORDED TEMP - 17TH DEC 2009 AVG 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT TEMP o C :00:00 PM 12:30:00 PM 1:00:00 PM 1:30:00 PM 2:00:00 PM 2:30:00 PM 3:00:00 PM 3:30:00 PM 4:00:00 PM 4:30:00 PM TIME CONTROL TEMP MULCH TEMP Bunchzone temperatures in vines from adjacent rows are consistently reduced from between o C throughout the hottest day at Braemore due to the application of composted mulch.

26 its getting hot in here 45 TYRRELL'S BUNCHZONE TEMPERATURE COMPARISON HIGHEST RECORDED TEMP - 23rd JAN 2010 AVG 5 SENSORS/TREATM ENT 44.6 TEMP o C :00:00 PM 12:30:00 PM 1:00:00 PM 1:30:00 PM 2:00:00 PM 2:30:00 PM 3:00:00 PM 3:30:00 PM 4:00:00 PM 4:30:00 PM TIME CONTROL MULCH Maximum bunchzone temperatures on the hottest day experienced at Tyrrell s (23 Jan 2010) was also reduced by o C

27 with added on-site air TEMP o C KURRAJONG'S BUNCHZONE & AIR TEMPERATURE COMPARISON HIGHEST RECORDED TEMP - 13TH JAN 2010 AVG OF 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT :00:00 PM 12:30:00 PM 1:00:00 PM 1:30:00 PM 2:00:00 PM 2:30:00 PM 3:00:00 PM 3:30:00 PM 4:00:00 PM :30:00 PM TIME CONTROL MULCH ON-SITE AIR TEMP Temperatures were reduced by o C at Kurrajong with mulch treatment. On-site air temperatures highlight the extent of increases within both bunchzones.

28 Mulch increases beneficial hangtime between o C TREATMENT COMPARISON OF DEGREE HOURS BETWEEN o C ALL SITES - Dec 1st Harvest 2010 AVG OF 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT o NO # O F HO URS BETWEEN C % 88.8% 86.7% 88.1% 88.4% 89.2% TYRRELL'S hrs BRAEMORE hrs KURRAJONG hrs TYRRELL'S CONTROL TYRRELL'S MULCH BRAEMORE CONTROL BRAEMORE MULCH KURRAJONG CONTROL KURRAJONG MULCH Increased hangtime within the optimum temperature range of o C assists to enhance fruit quality at all sites.

29 Mulch reduces detrimental hangtime above 35 o C TREATMENT COMPARISON OF DEGREE HOURS ABOVE 35 o C ALL SITES AVG OF 5 SENSORS/TREATMENT 120 NO# OF HOURS >35 o C % 6.8% 8.3% 6.4% 7.1% 6.1% 60 TYRRELL'S BRAEMORE KURRAJONG TYRRELLS CONTROL TYRRELL'S MULCH BRAEMORE CONTROL BRAEMORE MULCH KURRAJONG CONTROL KURRAJONG MULCH Reduced hangtime above 35 o C assists to enhance fruit quality at all sites.

30 Harvest 2010 Yield and grape quality

31 Increased berry weights BERRY WEIGHT COMPARISON BETWEEN TREATMENTS ALL SITES WEIGHT (g) SITE Tyrells control Tyrells mulch Ken control Ken mulch Kurrajong control Kurrajong mulch Individual berry weights increased across all sites in mulched treatments

32 Increased bunch weights 40 BUNCH WEIGHT (kg) COMPARISON BETWEEN TREATMENTS ALL SITES BUNCH WEIGHT (kg) Site Tyrrell control Tyrrell mulch Ken control Ken mulch Kurrajong control Kurrajong mulch 40 bunch weight increased across all sites in mulched treatments. Overall, bunch numbers were only increased at Kurrajong within mulched treatment.

33 Composted mulch increases yield YIELD (T/Ha) COMPARSION BETWEEN TREATMENTS ALL SITES YIELD (T/Ha) SITE Tyrrells control Tyrrells mulch Ken control Ken mulch Kurrajong control Kurrajong mulch Overall yield increased marginally across all sites

34 Tyrrell s ph a measure of acidity or alkalinity Tyrrell's ph Treatment comparisons Veraison - Harvest ph Sampling dates Control Mulch ph remains within quality range of ph

35 Braemore ph a measure of acidity or alkalinity Braemore ph Treatment comparisons Veraison-Harvest ph units sampling dates Control Mulch ph remains within quality range of ph

36 Kurrajong ph a measure of acidity or alkalinity Kurrajong's ph Treatment comparisons Veraison - Harvest ph Sampling Dates Control Mulch ph remains within quality range of ph

37 Tyrrell's o Brix and Titrable Acidity Tyrrell's o Brix and Titrable Acidity Treatment comparisons Veraison - Harvest 2010 o Brix Sampling dates TA g/l Control Brix Mulch Brix Control TA Mulch TA Titratable acidity is a measure of the total acids (consisting mainly of malic, tartaric and minor amounts of citric acid). o Brix is a measure of sugar, influencing final alcohol potential

38 Braemore o Brix and Titrable Acidity Braemore o Brix and Titratable Acidity Treatment comparison Verasion - Harvest o Brix TA (g/l) Sampling dates Control Brix Mulch Brix Control TA Mulch TA 4 Titratable acidity is a measure of the total acids (consisting mainly of malic, tartaric and minor amounts of citric acid). o Brix is a measure of sugar, influencing final alcohol potential

39 Kurrajong's o Brix and Titrable Acidity Kurrajong's o Brix and Titratable Acidity Treatment comparison Verasion - Harvest o Brix TA g/l Sampling dates 4 Control Brix Mulch Brix Control TA Mulch TA Titratable acidity is a measure of the total acids (consisting mainly of malic, tartaric and minor amounts of citric acid). o Brix is a measure of sugar, influencing final alcohol potential

40 2010 PRUNING PRUNING VINE SAMPLE SITE TREATMENT CANE NO# WEIGHT (kg) Avg. CANE WT (g) YIELD/ 10 VINES (kg) RATIO VINE VIGOUR Tyrrells control LOW mulch LOW Braemore control LOW mulch LOW Kurrajong control mulch VERY LOW VERY LOW

41 Soil testing- pre-application and nine months later Tyrrell s Braemore Kurrajong Characteristic & Unit Treatment PRE POST PRE POST PRE POST ph in water 1:5 CONTROL MULCH EC 1:5 (ds/m) Pref. <0.15 CONTROL MULCH Ex Sodium (%) Pref. <5% CONTROL MULCH

42 Soil testing- pre-application and nine months later Tyrrell s Braemore Kurrajong Characteristic & Unit Treatment PRE POST direction PRE POST direction PRE POST direction Total N % CONTROL MULCH Organic Carbon (%) CONTROL MULCH Ca:Mg CONTROL 8.2 ND MULCH

43 Soil testing- pre-application and nine months later Tyrrell s Braemore Kurrajong Characteristic and Unit Treatment PRE POST direction PRE POST direction PRE POST direction K (%)of ecec CONTROL pref. K 5-15% MULCH

44 Conclusions (to date) Composted mulch application thus far- Reduced irrigation requirements (1 site - approx.50%) Increased moisture retention Buffered soil temperatures Reduced daily average and maximum bunchzone temperatures Marginal increase in overall yield Enhanced conditions for improved grape quality Pruning weights suggest minimal impact on vegetative growth Minimal changes to soil quality parameters

45 THANK YOU Annie Kavanagh DECCW Ken, Des & Andrew at Braemore,Tyrrell s & Kurrajong vineyards Jenny Bright Bright Vine Services Tony Somers NSW DI&I Compost NSW & CFS Business Partners Hunter Valley Viticultural Association NWGIC Darren Fahey Compost NSW Market and Industry Development Officer darren@wmma.asn.au