At Pridham Viticulture, we take great pride in keeping our vines healthy and flourishing despite the increasingly unpredictable weather we’re faced with. One crucial aspect of our vineyard management is an efficient fungicide spray program.
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.
