the Viticulture Practice: technical services
You are here:	Home>>	Our services>>	Technical Services>>
Home The People	Technical Services. With increasing international competition for the export dollar it is becoming increasingly vital for the Marlborough wine industry to maintain product quality and to preserve the “Marlborough Brand” and the international perception of New Zealand as “clean and green”. The Viticulture Practice is able to provide a number of vineyard technical services which will aid the winegrower in maintaining fruit quality. · Bud counts and measurement of pruning weights prior to pruning can be used to provide a measurement of vine vigour. This in turn can determine the number of buds to lay down to maintain balanced vines with consistent fruit quality. · Soil and tissue tests are indicators of nutrient availability and the required fertilizer treatments. · Bunch counts early in the season combined with climate data will provide an initial indicator of potential yield and the likelihood of reaching the target ^obrix level. · The use of soil moisture monitoring to schedule irrigation conserves an increasingly scarce resource and is a tool to control vine vigour. · Irrigation audits evaluate the effectiveness nd efficiency of the vineyard irrigation system ensuring that theach vine receives the required quantity of water. · Pest and disease monitoring can be used to determine the growers spray program: reducing costs and ensuring compliance with the Sustainable Winegrowing program. In the report recently released by DANA: The New Zealand Vineyard and Wine Industry Review 2005 Edition, Sustainable Winegrowing NZ is described as a crucial factor in gaining access to the European market with their insistence on environmentally sustainable products. The Viticulture Practice has extensive experience working with the SWNZ program.
Home	The Viticulture Practice. Marlborough, N.Z. Phone: (64) 021 230 2348 (64) 03 572 5275 Email: lexthomson@vitpractice.co.nz			To top of page.