Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/724494
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m S e p t - O c t 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 3 9 for water management and sani- tization are the Tom Beard Com- pany's barrel-washing equipment and BlueMorph's UVC technol- ogy. The barrel-washing units are specially designed to recycle and reuse water in the last wash cycles. Using them, Jackson Family Wines in Sonoma County reduced its con- sumption of water for washing bar- rels by two-thirds and trimmed the amount of time required to wash barrels by about 40%. Jackson Family and other winer- ies have also cut water use by more than 20% in the tank-cleaning pro- cess using BlueMorph's technology, which sterilizes tank interiors with a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light instead of chemical sanitizers and water. Per Bluemorph, the sav- ings can be more than 80% if fully adopted and implemented. Trials have proven this technology is sig- nificantly more effective at sanitizing stainless steel tanks than traditional cleaning and sanitizing methods. In addition to eliminating microorgan- isms that spoil wine, BlueMorph's UV technology can also: + Reduce wineries' heating bills by approximately 70%; + Eliminate the need for chemicals in the sterilization process; + Remove the scalding hazard posed by steam and hot water; and + Reduce the time and labor required to wash a tank by about 75% (three minutes for a 3,000-gallon tank or 30 minutes for a 25,000-gallon tank). Wineries are often surprised to learn that these technologies may not be cost-prohibitive. While the results depend on a winery's size and winemaking processes, the savings in water, labor, time, chemi- cals and energy can offset the cost of this equipment in as little as one year and generally less than three. PESTICIDE ALTERNATIVES Another environmental issue is the use of pesticides. New technol- How it works: Rather than apply- ing a pesticide or fungicide spray every 10 to 14 days, a trailered TPT unit emits directed blasts of hot air (200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit), raising the temperature under the leaf canopy by 12 to 25 degrees for about 15 seconds — enough to kill most small insects, insect eggs and mildew. Growers can use TPT throughout the growing season to encourage more uniform bud break and control insects and disease. If the goal is a more uniform fruit set, growers can make two or three passes during bloom. The resulting increase in ton- nage can offset the cost of TPT equipment within one year. Though TPT requires less chemicals and water than pesticides, it does require burning propane to gen- erate the heat, so there are some environmental trade-offs. REDUCING COSTS THROUGH BIG DATA Pinpointing where resources are needed is an important part of ogy is changing the story here, too. One promising example is called thermal plant treatment (TPT) from AgroThermal Systems. The initial idea was to blow hot air into the leaf canopy to control small insects and mildew with heat rather than with pesticides and fungicides. Trials in Oregon; New Zealand; and Napa, Sonoma and Monterey counties showed a sig- nificant decrease in the need for sprays, as well as multiple unex- pected benefits among heat-treated blocks: + A 23% higher yield than control blocks; + Repeatedly higher rankings in blind taste tests; + Healthier leaf canopies and a more uniform fruit set (especially in cooler areas); and + A 40% increase in the number of berries, a 40% increase in bunch weight and one to two additional tons per acre in yield. Thermal plant treatment (TPT) from AgroThermal Systems blows hot air into leaf canopies to control small insects and mildew with heat rather than pesticides and fungicides.