OBJECTIVES

Grape production is highly influenced by weather. Among all weather events, frost is one of the top weather hazards causing grape crop losses. Paradoxically, as global temperatures increase, the need for responses to frost risk has never been greater.  Our interaction with grape growers around the world, attest to the market interest and demand for frost protection and confirm our approach of delaying bud break. To accomplish this objective FrostDefense Envirotech will:

  • Assess the specific needs of customer’s vineyards and create a customized frost management intervention.
  • Provide customers with technology to reduce frost damage.
  • Help customers to maintain the profitability of their vineyard.
  • Help customers to manage labor and mechanized practices.
  • Reduce costs of frost management.
  • Provide a Decision Support System to guide the application of our technology and assist growers with decision making regarding frost management during the entire frost season.

The innovation

THE INNOVATION

We are providing solutions  that will allow viticulturists to delay the time when buds break in the spring in order to minimize damage from early spring frost and improve labor and mechanization management of the vineyard.  These solutions are based on a non-toxic / non hormonal and environmentally friendly spray. For the first time there is a physiological base method that slows down endogenous plant physiological development past the riskiest frost window without delaying harvesting.

When paired with our Decision Support System, grape farmers can make sound decisions of when to apply the encapsulation technology enabling them to protect cold tender growth from spring frosts.

LABOR AND MECHANICAL OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTS

Production of grapes is a labor-intensive effort and labor demands are increasingly hard to meet. Mechanized vineyard operations are increasingly being viewed as a viable means of reducing production costs and labor requirements while maintaining product quality. Manipulating plant development during early spring by regulating bud break will aid viticulturists in the management of labor and mechanized farm operations by increasing the operating window for grapevine shoot removal.

PREDICTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM

At FrostDefense, the predictive analytics – and the statistics, historical records and weather climate forecasts behind them – will provide answers to why (the spray technology should be applied), when (the application need be carried out, for maximum effectiveness and value), and where (which vineyard fields are at risk for damaging frost near or soon after bud break).

One of the more recent trends emerging from our field contacts is the gap in sub-seasonal predictions and lack of microclimate knowledge of the farm to make more informed decisions. Our Decision Support System integrated solutions guides the application of our product and  provide  farmers with decision-making tools ahead of impending frost events during grape bud break season