Grapes. Intensive culture.

Grapes has a fairly high yield potential, which is not always fully utilized. Most of the vineyards, at the mercy of nature and the wine-grower farmers often rely on what the weather conditions are favorable, but it does not always happen, and in recent years, makes it possible for tangible climate change, the guaranteed yield is becoming more problematic.
One of the main ways of intensification of vineyards - it irrigation. Various methods of irrigation of vineyards by drip irrigation ditch before. But which of these methods is the most optimal and economically viable?
Certainly it is drip irrigation, which makes it possible to date to achieve excellent results.
The pioneers in the use of low-volume sprinkler systems and drip irrigation are considered Israelis. They were among the first to use modern irrigation systems and achieved excellent results. Despite the rather harsh climate, the tenants consistently high yields of table and wine grapes.
However, today in the leading position in the field of low-volume irrigation pulled Australian farmers. Drip irrigation systems are very common among wine growers in Australia. Cause? Viticulture there are enough young industry and vinogladari not so open-minded to say "tradition" as their counterparts in Europe and America.
In Australia we tested different types and variants of irrigation systems, which are not tested at the amateur level, and for this case serious budgetary funds and engaged in science tests were identified. Performance is measured not only in terms of yield. Very carefully studied the quality indicators of the grapes and wine produced from grapes grown on irrigated. Of course, one of the most important indicators - is the economy.
The best results were obtained with the underground so-called "batch" irrigation. Water consumption is reduced more than 2-fold compared with the surface drip irrigation, and quality indicators, including organoleptic properties, solids content, etc. obtained the highest.
Note that for underground irrigation can not use conventional drip irrigation tubes, as they are literally in a few weeks will come in complete disrepair due to ingrowth droppers roots. Use special tubes or special technology. Options for drip irrigation:

Quite common embodiment the drip irrigation when the handset is hung on the lower wire (trellis).

The apparent simplicity of the irrigation device has a number of disadvantages:

• crust formation.
• Significant loss of water by evaporation and weathering.
• The possibility of infection of the leaf surface by airborne droplets.
• The need for continuous tillage (cultivation).
• Difficulties using fertigation.
• Damage to the tubes birds and animals.
• Vandalism.

Less frequently used tube placement on the soil surface. The main disadvantage - the possibility of damage to the tube during cultivation between rows.

The additional use of mulch film, can get rid of a number of shortcomings and significantly save water, but there are difficulties with the laying of mulch and mulch replacement every few years.

It is advisable to use, especially in southern areas mulch white or silver instead of black.

Goes underground.

Underground placement of drip irrigation tubes is much more efficient. Soil moisture in the root zone at a deeper soil layer prevents water loss from the grapes do not develop surface (rosyanye) roots, fertilizers are distributed more evenly.
Research has shown that water savings up to 50%, and the saving of fertilizers by using fertigation nodes reaches 60%. Thus the total savings of resources provides a significant economic advantage.

Drip irrigation tubes are laid in the soil with the help of special equipment. For vineyards underground drip tubes are laid on both sides along the row of grapes. Bookmarks depth depends on the soil type and ranges from 40 to 60 cm. The distance from the center of a number average of 50-60 cm.

Comparison of irrigation methods

For the farmer, the main indicator is the yield, but it is important for the winemaker and productivity and of particular importance is the quality of the grapes.
In good years the yield reaches 100-120, and sometimes even 150 quintals per hectare. But this so-called lucky or good years, Koga weather conditions add up the most favorable.
I am 30 years he lived and worked on the Taman Peninsula, which is one of the major wine-growing and wine-producing regions of Russia. Here, favorable seasons usually occur once every 10-11 years. It seems that these seasons are very clearly paired with the cycles of solar activity.
As izbvitsya of the climatic dependence for growing grapes?
Certainly there is only one way to the intensification of the industry - the creation of new vineyards, equipped with all technical equipment, allows for each plant optimal conditions for growth and fruiting. This can be done by using modern systems of drip irrigation, fertigation, automation and phytomonitoring system.

I am well acquainted with the "Soviet Champagne" as christened at the time NS Khrushchev Taman Peninsula. At the time, almost all the Temryuk district was viticulture and winemaking. On the volumes of wine production, says such a fact: In the area there were 11 wineries, which have been designed to process 14 thousand tons of grapes annually and state farm wineries South, Starotitarovskaya and Fanagoriyskaya could recycle than double the amount of grapes. The farm "Peace", were excellent cellars, which produces excellent quality wines and sparkling wine stocks.
Unfortunately, the Soviet winemaking, could not stand the competition. Wineries Retrofitted equipment in the early '70s, demanded the reconstruction, and in the late 80s - came the struggle for a sober way of life ...
Nevertheless, even in those hard 80s, Taman winegrowers have managed to get out of another company in the struggle for sobriety with almost minimal losses.
On the orders of the then authorities, the area under vines were significantly reduced. But with the mind! Were uprooted the old, the sick, unproductive vineyards and immediately laid the young vines, though predominantly table varieties. And later, sometimes on wine and table grapes went, for example the same "Moldova".

Taman despite excellent growing climatic conditions, has a serious drawback: It is the most arid Krasnodar edge zone. It is natural that at a time when in the mid-70s on the peninsula held Taman waterworks, water intended to be used primarily for domestic use and for the little wineries and livestock. On irrigation at that time no one thought much less of irrigated vineyards.
Water scarcity is still holding back the introduction of irrigation in the vineyards of the region.
Given all this, I would like to once again draw attention to the underground drip irrigation. This type of irrigation allows at least twice to reduce water consumption. And the water in Taman now just did gold. For example, for domestic use, the cost of a cubic meter of water on the Taman Peninsula is higher than for example in Israel. I do not know how to construct a system of pricing in this area, but it says that the days when the water was free, gone.

In the table you can compare the water consumption and yield of grapes at the surface and low-volume underground irrigation.

The figures speak for themselves. And productivity is not the standard. I think that the tenants looking at these figures will understand what I mean. The development and intensification of the industry is impossible without the use of modern technology. On some of them, discussed below.

What to do with irrigation? Portion watering.

So we did an underground drip irrigation. Paved two lines along the vine rows.
And then we conducted an experiment: like make fun of little plants. We decided to submit vodichku a few days on one side of a number, and then - on the contrary the other c.
And Get Amazing Results!
With much lower water consumption, productivity is not affected, but the quality ... It turned out that the quality of the grapes turned out much higher. And most importantly, they are waiting for winemakers from grapes.
On such a complex and capricious varieties, such as kabarne sauvignon, where the presence of the coloring and extractive substances in grapes greatly affects the quality of the wine, with this method of irrigation, it managed to get the best possible performance on these parameters, and the wine produced from grapes grown on this technology were very high!

Water is supplied only in one line - one by one. This leads to the fact that half of the root system receives water and the second is not. Irrigation water supply for each line alternates, and switching the water supply is done every 5-7 days. As a result, the roots of "dry" zone synthesized greater amounts of acid, which goes to the leaves of plants stimulates contraction of leaf stomata than reduces transpiration of water leaves.
An additional positive effect is the accumulation of large amounts of sugar, dry and dyes in grape berries and as a consequence - increase in trade as a table grape and wine quality. Yield reduction in such an irrigation system slightly, but water saving - is essential.

Farmers should understand that the provisions of use of new technologies, far from being exhausted!

News: Kuban increased wine production Krasnodar region in 2007 produced more than 18.5 million decalitres of grape wines.

As reported by www. regnum.ru, December 25, the press service of the regional administration told us that it is a third more than last year.
"The region reached the level of 35% of the Russian production of wine, although a few years ago started with 5% of the market", - noted in the press-service.
In the Kuban implemented an unprecedented program of state sector of viticulture and winemaking. The regional authorities subsidize the tab and the young vineyards maintenance, installation of trellis, nursery development. For these purposes in 2007 provided more than 100 million. Rubles, in the future, it is planned to allocate 300 million rubles.
"Viticulture and winemaking has become one of the priorities of development of the region Kuban wines in recent years to open the way to foreign markets, and in the Kuban wineries operate foreign winemakers.", - concluded the press-service.
Source Kuban .iNFO

Very encouraging news. In the autumn I was in Taman and saw that lays a lot of young vineyards.
But since I'm an ex-farmer, and even people who lived in those parts of three decades, first tried to make an analysis of how to achieve these objectives. Perhaps - at the expense of enlarging the size of possible - due to the intensification of production.

Extensive way ineffective. Production should be developed based on modern, innovative, intensive and high-performance technologies. It's my opinion. Money should be spent efficiently and wisely! Invested in the production of money should give high returns.