California experienced an intense and early heatwave the week of June 10th. The heatwave peak was reached on June 11th in Napa. During heatwave events, competition for water occurs between the soil and the atmosphere. Vine water supply can be low due to low soil water content and vine water […]
The Foliar Water Potential under discussion. A heatwave affected California during the week of June 10. As global warming is expected to increase the frequency of heatwave events, it seems important to us to take a closer look at vine response to heatwaves and the influence heatwaves have in terms of selecting decision-making tools for […]
Because winegrowers fear bad climate may ruin their efforts on vine production and alter yield, they may tend to harvest sooner rather than later, while winemaker’s expectations often call to delay harvest to improve grape color and aromatic profile. The difference between these expectations can cause stress and tension between the […]
In 2008 we began designing software that would support vineyard decision making, we were pioneers. We wanted to enable winegrowers to factually analyze the events (practices, environment, etc.) that impact the plant and fruit through a scientific data approach. There are two main goals of our work: to improve the quality of […]
An NDVI aerial view maps and analyzes the vineyard from “above” the canopy. Thus, it provides information on leaf biomass. By contrast, a Physiocap® view analyzes the vineyard from “underneath” the canopy and maps the distribution of wood mass in your vineyard. Performed before budbreak, Physiocap® measurement informs on the […]
Recently Fruition Sciences has received questions from prospective customers on using funding from the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) to finance their irrigation system upgrades, including the purchase of Sap Flow sensors. We understand that using plant-based sensors as irrigation trigger can be a major investment for many […]
During maceration, red wine develops its phenolic and aromatic profile. The outcome of maceration depends on multiple factors including fruit composition, chemical processes and winemaking techniques. How do common winemaking techniques affect the chemical and sensory properties of wine? Federico Casassa presented on this topic at our 2016 Vintage Report […]
Pruning is a critical activity for vineyards to achieve vine balance as winter approaches. Alessandro Zanutta from Simonit&Sirch made an excellent presentation at our 2015 Napa Vintage Report conference about a new pruning technique. He raised an excellent point about the impact of pruning on sap flow activity. Pitfalls […]
In a previous entry, we discussed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and how it affects vineyard owners and grape growers. As we approach the June 30, 2017 deadline for high and medium priority basins to establish their groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA), how are different wine regions getting ready for SGMA […]
In most winegrowing countries, organic viticulture is gaining more and more importance. However, in most non-European countries organic viticulture is still in the initial stages. Organic cropping systems are considered more sustainable than conventional cropping systems from an environmental standpoint. Reganold and his colleagues have reported that organically farmed […]
