Good Fruit Grower

November 2016

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/744696

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 23 of 63

24 NOVEMBER 2016 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Oregon viticulturist tests, uses drone technology. by Ross Courtney photos by TJ Mullinax C had Vargas bought a drone just as an exper- iment, but he's using it for all sorts of chores on his Newberg, Oregon, vineyard. He uses the DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter to measure slopes, scare off birds, monitor bin logistics and string marking ribbon across rows, sav- ing himself the hike. "I carry it in the truck all the time," said the viticultur- ist and vineyard manager for Adelsheim Vineyard. As for making spray, irrigation and harvest decisions based on aerial imagery — the reason he obtained the unmanned aerial vehicle and a Sequoia multispectral camera in the fi rst place — he's not so sure. "I'm skeptical of that myself," said Vargas, who manages Adelsheim's 230 acres of estate vineyards in northwest Oregon's Willamette Valley. The company is best known for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, but also grows Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Arneis and Syrah on a vertical shoot positioning system trellis with 5-foot spacing and 7 feet between rows. Most of the estate is laid out in small vineyards of about 20 acres each, lending themselves to experimenta- tion with small drones. Test fl ights Grapes - Labeled for two (2) treatments: Additional protection for High-Density production - Rozol paraffi nized pellets are ideal for wet conditions - Labeled for preventative perimeter broadcast and bait station treatment* Voles gnaw on tree trunks and roots (girdling) causing disruption of the tree's fl ow of nutrients and water. OUTSTANDING VOLE CONTROL Learn More Protect Your Orchard Ph: 888-331-7900 • www.liphatech.com Meadow vole. High-Density Orchards Require Intensive Vole Management with * to border areas and buffer strips adjacent to crops. Not labeled for broadcast in CO, FL, NY or VT. Do not apply directly to food or feed crops except as specifi ed on the label.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Good Fruit Grower - November 2016