From a grower’s perspective, improving soil health makes makes good business sense.
For Platfarm Co-Founder Oli Madgett, working out how to rigorously baseline soil organic carbon for viticulture (taking account of mid rows being managed differently from under vine) has been personally important for measuring progress at the family vineyard in McLaren Vale.
We are moving away from spraying herbicide and making improving our soil’s health a key focus – and as they say, ‘if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it’.
There are challenges — but the Platfarm App exists to help growers use data to resolve challenges out in the field.
From a digital technology perspective, a primary focus is to create simple-to-use software that creates a really clear audit trail.
This case study is a significant step towards establishing a soil organic carbon baselining methodology for the wine industry that is both rigorous and commercially realistic.
Thanks to Timothy Cavagnaro, Joseph Marks and Thomas Lines from The University of Adelaide, Rebecca Tonkin from Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges, George Dridan at Integrated Precision Viticulture, the team at APAL Labs and Ed Scott from Field Systems.
This article was originally published in the June issue of The Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker.
Read the full case study here: Drawing a line in the soil: Learnings from baselining a vineyard’s soil organic carbon level.