The Australian wine industry needs more research on frost response strategies.
This was one of the outcomes of the free online community chat hosted by the ASVO to talk about the devastating frosts in numerous regions including Clare, the Barossa, the Riverland and the Riverina.
The frost risk is ongoing with many wine regions experiencing very dry conditions.
ASVO executive officer Chris Waters says participants in the community chat shared their experiences and challenges with managing vineyards during frost events.
“They also discussed potential solutions such as kelp spray and the importance of well-hydrated vines,” he says.
“It was suggested that growers should wait a week before assessing damage.
“The community’s resilience, analytical excellence and willingness to cooperate for future success was evident.
“Growers expressed willingness to document and share their observations on differential frost damage across blocks, and the possibility of setting up small scale trials on different post-frost management strategies, while wineries may consider developing new wine styles from frost-affected fruit.”
The ASVO will facilitate a further community forum in a month or so to discuss which recovery practices have displayed the best results to date – leading into the 2025 harvest.
Thirty-four people joined the forom – from regions including Barossa and Eden Valleys, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Riverland, Riverina, Bendigo, Beechworth, Robinvale, Hunter, Orange, Sunraysia, Canberra and Tumbarumba.
Photo: Kaesler Wines in the Barossa.
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