Irrigation
Application of water to a vineyard is one of the strongest methods of influencing the quality and quantity of fruit available at harvest. The Riverland has prolonged hot periods in the summer months, and the recent shortages of availability and increased cost of water makes irrigation one of the most crucial operations that a grower can make in the Riverland.
While most growers know their particular vineyard and irrigation system well, there is often benefit in continuing to reassess practices during an irrigation season, to ensure the most efficient use of an expensive resource, to ensure a sustainable yield, and prevent adverse impacts during heat events.
Water allocations and carry-over
Water allocations and announcements (S.A. DEW)
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/water-allocations-and-announcements
Murray Darling Basin Plan (S.A. DEW)
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/basin-plan
South Australian carryover
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/about-river-murray/water-allocation-and-carryover/south-australian-private-carryover
Alternatives to S.A. Carryover (S.A. DEW)
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/water-allocation-and-carryover/alternatives-to-South-Australian-carryover
Permits, Licenses, Forms and Levies – S.A. DEW website (Many links)
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/river-murray/permits-licences-forms-levies
Practical
Salinity (Overview, Wine Australia)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/growing-making/vineyard-management/salinity
Salinity Management in Australian Vineyards (Fact sheet) an extensive practical guide
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/7698d8aa-63dc-4d0f-a040-78b63ff66e3f/201404_Sustainable-salinity-management-in-Australian-vineyards.pdf
Measuring soil salinity – Vitinotes
https://www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/v_activity_soil_measure.pdf
How to start irrigating with less water (Vitinotes fact sheet)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/b45ec6d7-e571-45d7-be78-f4d922750b14/How-to-start-irrigating-with-less-water-(2010).pdf
Soil Moisture Monitoring – Vitinotes
https://www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/v_activity_soil_moisture.pdf
An introduction to Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) – Vitinotes
https://www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2_irrigation_introduction_to_rdi.pdf
Scheduling regulated deficit irrigation – Vitinotes
https://www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/4_irrigation_scheduling_rdi.pdf
Varietal responses to regulated deficit irrigation – Vitinotes
https://www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/5_irrigation_varietal_responses_to_rdi.pdf
CCW Water budget Tool – Excel Spreadsheet download – (Wine Australia funding has made the CCW water budget tool publicly available)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/de90a38e-4a57-4e93-9f69-1d67242dcd00/CCW-water-budget-tool.xls
CCW Water Budget tool – supplementary notes (Presentation)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/b7075390-b138-45fc-bcd3-de5647ec272d/CCW-water-budget-presentation.pdf
Riverland Wine – Facing the water availability challenge (AITHER) – workshop summary
https://www.riverlandwine.com.au/images/pdf/RWdocs/20190812_Riverland_Wine_workshop_summary_report.pdf
Riverland Wine – Facing the water availability challenge (AITHER) – workshop presentation
https://www.riverlandwine.com.au/images/pdf/Riverland_irrigator_workshop_presentation_Aug_2019.pdf
Riverland Wine – Water Business Tools
https://www.riverlandwine.com.au/images/Water-Business-Tools-ver3.xlsx
Technical
Salinity – a management interpretation guide (very extensive)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/0397ae01-5679-49cc-b100-c68c4708cde5/201103-Salinity-management-interpretation-guide.pdf
What can the vine tell us about its water status? – (Presentation) Everard Edwards, CSIRO
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/0e1d9b7a-42fd-4a8a-b1ea-8ddbdc129d1b/201406-What-can-the-vine-tell-us-about-its-water-status
Water management for wine grapes in a drying environment (Management Guide)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/0d28f6c3-49f8-4865-8304-26d2f64bf977/Water-management-for-wine-grapes-in-a-drying-environment.pdf
Regulated Deficit and Partial Rootzone Drying – Irrigation Insights (107 page technical booklet, pdf)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/50a58da5-ecc5-4aa1-ad06-8e3c87e38de9/NPI-01-01-RECV-27-10-03-PRD-irrigation-insights
Post-harvest care of grapevines – Irrigation and Nutrition (technical factsheet)
https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/71d11299-dddd-4cc4-ac8f-9b3e94df6170/201404_post-harvest-care-of-grapevines-irrigation-and-nutrition.pdf
Guide to the Irrisat Cloud – based app (booklet)
https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/doc/IrriSAT_QuickGuide_20052016.pdf
Access to Irrisat weather-based irrigation scheduling
https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/
Irrisat explanation video (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccvJizT4Iw0
Irrisat video tutorial (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qznIkqDsIA
Scheduling water and Nutrients (SWAN systems) – home page
https://www.swansystems.com.au/
Drip Irrigation – maintenance handbook (Netafim) – an extensive 96 page guide to drip irrigation system maintenance
https://www.netafim.com/es-pe/bynder/9CBBB64A-0F4C-40FF-833E7A24BF9926F2-drip-irrigation-system-maintenance-handbook.pdf
The effect of soil and irrigation management on grapevine performance (M.Ag.Sc. thesis paper)
https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/37963/8/02whole.pdf