Sustainable Water Management Strategies for Vineyards

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Project Mission Statement:

The purpose of this project is to develop sustainable water management strategies that maintain or improve vine yield and fruit quality using less, and lower quality, irrigation water.

Rationale:

Irrigated agriculture faces many challenges including reductions in water availability and water quality. In dry growing regions of the Western US, competition for water resources between municipal, agricultural, and industrial entities is only likely to worsen under the increasing drought frequency predicted by climate change scenarios. As a result, growers will be forced to use less irrigation water and water of poorer quality to sustain their crops. Since grapevines are particularly sensitive to drought and salinity, understanding how these factors interact to limit grape yield and quality is essential. By analyzing water management strategies and scion-rootstock combinations for salt and drought tolerance, we will be in a position to provide sustainable practices for wine, table, raisin, and juice grapes being produced in arid regions throughout the Western US. Our proposed research will have applicability to water management strategies for all woody perennial crops grown in this large region. 

Message from NGWI:

 

It is the intent of NGWI to support the above mentioned research project, "Developing sustainable water management strategies for vineyards,” proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture, under the direction of Dr. James Ayars. If the proposed project is approved for funding by the USDA CSREES, in addition to contributions made by NGWI, individual members will also making in-kind and cash contributions.

 

This work must be funded by the SCRI because it addresses one of the most pressing issues facing Western agriculture: how best to manage specialty crop production with less water – and water of lesser quality. The Board of Directors of NGWI recently voted to endorse this as one of four core projects, recognizing the involvement of the NGWI network in the initiation and development of this project.

 

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