To develop monitoring protocols for vineyard irrigation with effluent water by determining the effects of effluent irrigation on vine performance and soil properties

Abstract

A long-term irrigation experiment comparing the use of reclaimed water and potable water for vineyard irrigation was established in McLaren Vale in 1998. Preliminary data indicate that with the volume of reclaimed irrigation water applied no issues have emerged regarding grapevine growth, nutrient levels or berry development.

Summary

This report covers primarily the first three years of a continuing experiment on the use of reclaimed water for irrigation of Shiraz grapevines in McLaren Vale SA.  GWRDC, Beringer Blass Wine Estates and the Willunga Basin Water Company initially funded this project.  Since July 2003 Beringer Blass and the Water Company have funded the project and some data from the 2003-2004 & 2004-2005 season is included in this report.  In 2005 the project site was incorporated into CRCV Project S2.3.6 and post CRCV will be a site used in one of the projects in the new Wine Australia soil/water initiative. Beringer Blass Wine Estates and the Willunga Basin Water Company have agreed to financially support the project to harvest 2007.

Results to date indicate that with the relatively small volumes of reclaimed water applied there have been no unforeseen consequences.  Berry size, yield, petiole nutrient status are similar to that of vines receiving high quality potable water.  Soil water monitoring indicates that no applied water is moving below the rootzone during the irrigation season, however, this will be more accurately quantified by the installation of soil matric potential sensors and CSIRO designed drainage meters during 2005. The drainage meters will enable the chemical composition of any water moving below the rootzone to be determined.

Analysis of wines made in 2002 and 2003 reveal no differences in minor and major elemental analysis. These analyses included a wide range of heavy metals.  The concentrations of aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbons were at or below detectable limits in all wines for all classes of compounds. Sensory and additional wine analyses are planned.