crop protection

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When considering pest and disease control, it’s important to consider the merits of an active approach to crop protection, rather than blindly following a prescriptive programme. Fruit & Vine spoke with Agrii fruit team manager, Kevin Workman, to nd out more

Britain’s viticulture sector is enjoying something akin to a golden era of growth. Driven by the increasing success of its wines on the world stage, the area of vines under management in England and Wales increased by 70% in the ve years to 2021, according to the industry trade body, Wines of Great Britain (WineGB). Today, the area is estimated at more than 4,000 hectares making wine grapes the single largest soft fruit by area in Great Britain.

Production may be dominated by the alkaline soils of south and south-east England, but vineyards are being planted as far apart as Gloucestershire and Devon in the west to Essex and Su olk in the east. Growers in Wales too are looking to the future as are some further north in the expectation that a warming climate will bring new opportunities.

Clear variety preference

Across the sector there is a clear preference for varieties suited to sparkling wine with roughly two-thirds of production sold as the zzy stu . For all its lustre, however, the industry is undoubtedly small in its scale. Industry gures suggest that the average vineyard is roughly 4.5ha, with WineGB identifying a lack of training opportunities as one reason holding back expansion.

While the industry will undoubtedly continue to grow over time, the small scale and fragmented nature of the sector serves to hamper its development and the consistency of its output, says Kevin Workman, head of fruit for crop advisers and research specialist Agrii.

Blanket programme without regard

The most evident example of this is the approach to crop protection favoured by some growers, typically the smaller vineyards, who opt for a blanket programme intent on covering all threats without regard for the season. Such behaviour not only compromises performance and has the potential to add costs; it also undermines attempts to improve the sustainability credentials of the industry, he notes.

“A crop protection programme is only a reference. It should be adapted as needed depending on the prevailing conditions of the time of application,” Kevin explains.

Weather determines everything

The weather is the single greatest in uence on performance – it determines everything from yield to grape quality, to bunch weight and berry size.

It is the task of the adviser to understand

Aboutourexpert

As Agrii fruit team manager, Kevin Workman provides management support to the fruit team of 14 individuals, as well as being a jobbing agronomist with a portfolio of customers in Herefordshire, East Anglia and Kent the seasonal in uences and manage the crop accordingly. In some respects, this is made easier by the dominance of three varieties of grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Together, these varieties account for 82% of recent plantings.

With over 23 years’ experience as a horticulturalist, Kevin says he has always had an interest in the propagation of plants. This led to a job at a local tree nursery from school, and from there he went on to do an OND at Hadlow College in Kent.

He enjoys the day-to-day variation of his role, and the people – colleagues, customers and partners.

“One advantage of this is that, as advisers, we get to develop an intimate knowledge of these varieties across a wide geographical range. If we observe the beginnings of a disease or pest threat in one area, we know to be ready for it in another,” comments Kevin.

“Of course, this is not always the case. Most of the seasonal pressures, be they pests or disease, are of local origin, but they can also travel great distances on the wind or be carried by birds and insects.”

Modern production pressures

To the grower, pests and disease are often the most visual threats to performance; but to society they can be dismissed as a minor irritation. For the modern consumer, a clean, healthy crop of vines counts for little if the wine it produces fails to meet their de nition of sustainability.

Following a warts-and-all programme of crop protection activities may serve to remove much of the growing risk, but it is di cult to defend as sustainable practice when others follow an active approach based on real-time assessments.

Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB), an initiative introduced in 2020 by WineGB, lists reducing the carbon footprint of wines as one its goals. It aims for the wine produced under the scheme to be carbon neutral by 2030. According to WineGB, about 55% of the area down to vines is entered into the scheme with 35 accredited wines approved to carry the SWGB label.

“Being able to demonstrate that the crop protection and nutrition products used are applied based on an assessed need will serve to support claims to be environmentally sustainable,” Kevin says.

Going beyond crop management

The adviser’s role often goes beyond managing the crop during the season. Ensuring that production activities comply with the latest regulations, industry standards or end-market requirements are also central to their role, he explains.

“What you miss most by not engaging an adviser is the ability to adapt with con dence. New products come to the market while others su er stock shortages or can have their market authorisation withdrawn at a moment’s notice.

“The adviser is there to manage these issues while making you aware of better or cheaper alternatives. They will also help you in managing inventory levels. No one wants to be left with stocks of product that is at risk of losing its authorisation or is set to be superseded by something better.”

Rarely a simple task

At the strategic level, vineyard management is rarely a simple task. Objectives may be set at the start of the season, but this is not a manufacturing process. Outcomes are not guaranteed, and plans need to be adaptable.

“Customer relations are often dependant on the individuals involved on a day-to-day basis, but behind the scenes is a depth of knowledge and expertise that is easy to overlook.

“Agrii is the only national adviser to have a dedicated trials and research facility speci cally for viticulture. The learnings identi ed here and at the sister site in Sussex enable us to con dently tackle the problems we see in commercial vineyards. Should the grower want to run their own trial, our team has the experience needed to help them deliver it,” Kevin says.

“As with much in business, performance is often down to the individual while success is dependent on the team. Surrounding yourself with good people is the making of a strong team and there is a place for a good consultant in every team.”