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WINE & GRAPE PRODUCTION
The grape escape As the Australian wine industry continues to mature new areas and geographic zones are being looked into for the production of wines grapes, Charles Sturt University research is showing how the rapidly growing wine industry can expand into other regions previously considered unsuitable for growing wine grapes. Grapes are traditionally grown on land with cool wet winters and hot dry summers, but the Australian wine industry is looking to move into subtropical areas with their warm humid and wet summers and mild dry winters. Vignerons, prompted by the growth of maturing tourist industries along the NSW mid north coast and into Queensland, are looking to expand wine production into these areas to supply the tourist market in these regions. A major problem confronting them is the coastal climate with its higher humidity provides an excellent hothouse for the major fungal diseases that love to take hold on grapes and vines, such as the various fruit rots, which can decimate grape production and wine quality. The disease, ripe rot on chardonnay grapes. The fungus that causes this disease is called Colletotrichum acutatum. Associate Professor Chris Steel from the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) based at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga, believes these diseases can be managed with careful use of canopy management and fungicides. He has already shown that ripe rot and bitter rot join the more common grey mould rot as major causes for the loss of berry and wine quality and production for vineyards in the Hunter and Hastings valleys in coastal NSW. Often occurring together, these rots are found between Kingaroy in Queensland and the NSW south coast. Both rots are more likely to occur on most grape varieties when air temperatures are around 30-degree celsius and humidity is high. Initial laboratory trials have shown that the fungicide fluazinam inhibits the growth of ripe rot. However, an initial field trial showed inconclusive results for the chemical control of ripe and bitter rots on maturing cabernet sauvignon grapes growing on four sites in the Hunter and Hastings valleys. Late-maturing varieties such as cabernet sauvignon are particularly prone to these rots as they are maturing during periods of high rainfall, temperature and humidity. Dr Chris Steel and technical officer Lindsay Greer examining subtropical fungus isolated from grapes in the Hastings Valley. Dr Steel is now looking at other possible chemical controls as well as simple management techniques to lessen the effects of these diseases. “It appears early maturing varieties would better avoid these rots during times of greater susceptibility to bitter and ripe rots,” said Dr Steel. “Although wine grapes are not naturally suited to the sub-tropics, they are a growing part of the tourist experience on the NSW North Coast, so there are plenty of economic incentives to get this research right,” he concluded. Adding this new information to the feasibility analysis and economic modelling for growing wines in our fast developing coastal areas could see the development of a whole new wine industry based on these subtropical climate zones.
Associate Professor Chris Steel examining ways to control fungal diseases on grapes. Over the past six years, Dr Steel’s research has been funded by a variety of government and industry sources, such as the Australian Research Council, Hunter Valley Vineyard Association, and Bayer Crop Care. Dr Steel’s work is also part of the research profile of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre. Established in 1997, the Centre provides proactive industry led research and education with the expertise of Charles Sturt University, NSW Agriculture, NSW Wine Industry Association and Deakin University. ends
Editor's Note: Associate Professor Chris Steel is a senior lecturer with CSU’s School of Food and Wine Sciences and a senior researcher with the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre , both based on the University’s Wagga Wagga Campus. Media Note: Charles Sturt University is celebrating the work of several key researchers, including Dr Chris Steel, as part of National Science Week 2004 from Saturday 14 August until Sunday 22 August. Related Images:  |
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