Detection of grapevine trunk disease Esca by hyperspectral imaging

Global viticulture loses more than £1 billion every year due to so-called grapevine trunk diseases (GTD). Some vineyards just suffer a lower yield whereas others can lose the whole vineyard. Esca is one of three main GTD diseases. Unlike the usual seasonal problems such as downy or powdery mildew, GTD have no known treatment or […]

Italian vineyards investigated with Google Earth

At the end of the old year journalists like to write articles summarising events, listing items, totalling numbers. At the beginning of the New Year writers and readers alike become more philosophical, resolving to extract information from mere data and wisdom from observations. Google Earth has been a phenomenal source of data for many years […]

Climate change: a challenge or an opportunity for viticulture?

October is the time most vineyards have completed the harvest and wineries start the winemaking process. Some wineries are counting a better than ever harvest but others are just counting the cost. This summer the fields of Australia, California, South Africa, Portugal and even Oregon have been ravaged by fire and drought. This year the […]