It gives us great pleasure to announce that Michael Harrold, vineyard manager at Pikes Wines, has won a place on the AWRI Advanced Viticulture Course. Michael was the successful applicant for the first of two scholarships to be awarded by the Association this financial year, supported by funding from the Wine Australia Regional Program.
This scholarship, valued at $3500, enables Michael to participate in an intensive four-day course on the latest techniques and technologies in viticulture. Participants will travel in a small group across a number of SA regions to visit sites and meet practitioners who are at the cutting-edge of Australian viticulture.
Topics covered include:
- Propagation material now and for the future
- Improving soils to maximise wine-grape production
- Climate change and its effect on a vineyard – overcoming new challenges in an old vineyard
- Solar-powered irrigation pumps
- Using rootstocks to save water
- Using sensors and software to maximise water use efficiency
- Alternative varieties for warm climates
- Vineyard technology to improve efficiency
- Developing vineyard ecology to reduce pesticide use
- Terroir – putting the science behind the story
- Soil pits – what do they really tell us about vines and wines?
Michael will share some of this new knowledge with association members in coming months. Congratulations Mick. We look forward to hearing all about it.