A vineyard resting trial in South Australia began its second round yesterday, aiming to enable red winegrape growers to save up to $2,000 per hectare in input, water, and management costs.
The goal of the trial is to provide growers additional time to make diverse business decisions as the state’s wine industry continues to experience an oversupply of red winegrapes, following challenging market conditions and changing global preferences.
While the removal of tariffs on Australian wine sold in China has eased some of the pressures, the wine sector is still experiencing an oversupply, and this trial aims to enable growers who do not have a contract for their 2025 crop to significantly reduce their vineyard management costs.
Research undertaken by South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in collaboration with Wine Australia demonstrated that the application of the plant growth regulator Ethephon appeared to be the most effective option to consistently reduce yield, to the point where harvest was not required.
In further positive outcomes, it also found that the yield of the vines that had been treated with Ethephon returned to commercial levels and no residues were detected in the fruit in the following season.
“We are very fortunate to have SARDI continuously undertaking world-class research, and the extremely positive research outcomes shows that Ethephon can have a real and meaningful impact in reducing the costs of red winegrape growers,” said Clare Scriven, South Australia’s Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development.
“I have heard extensively from red winegrape growers in the Riverland and across South Australia of their concerns with managing their vineyards in the face of oversupply and I encourage them to look at this vineyard resting trial and rebate to reduce those costs.
“Importantly, the research undertaken here has shown crops bounce back in the following season with no residue detected, so they can apply Ethephon with confidence.”
When applied at the end of flowering, Ethephon reduces the crop while maintaining healthy foliage, which is vital for the vine to store energy to set itself up for the following season. Doing so may enable growers to reduce fertigation, water application, disease sprays and other regular input. In many circumstances, growers can avoid harvesting those blocks which represents a significant additional saving.
Growers involved with the trial can apply for a $40 rebate for each hectare sprayed to cover the cost of Ethephon for up to 1,000 hectares per ABN.
A technical factsheet to inform growers wishing to participate in this trial has been developed by SARDI and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), which covers application rates, timing, and considerations for vineyard management. It also outlines the potential risks and knowledge gaps involved in trialling this method.
Given an approximate cost of $2,500 per hectare to manage red winegrapes, an inexpensive and temporary method to reduce production could be a valuable vineyard management option as an alternative to removing vines, allowing growers time to make good business decisions.
This rebate is in addition to support rolled out for the wine sector in 2024, which included a $1.85 million package to re-engage with China, a $3.5 million long-term viability support package for the grape and wine sector from the Federal Labor Government, up to $1,500 direct financial support for red winegrape growers through the Rural Business Support Relief fund, $260,000 towards support for grapegrowers to investigate diversification options, and $50,000 for community events focusing on mental health and wellbeing.
For more information on the vineyard resting trial and to apply, visit: pir.sa.gov.au/vineyard-resting(external site).
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