Projects

Water Conservation Project (DWR)

DU Test in Vineyard

Goal

To increase the adoption of irrigation Best Management Practices (BMPs) by winegrape growers resulting in irrigation water conservation.

Project Highlights

Funded through the Department of Water Resources, Vineyard Team staff implemented a mobile irrigation lab program throughout the Central Coast. Not only did staff measure distribution uniformity at the beginning and end of the project, but staff evaluated other factors to determine the "people" aspect of behavior and performance:

 
DWR Project
Infogram

Resources

Sep 16, 2021

How can values, beliefs, and attitudes around irrigation improve water efficiency? That is exactly what a recent California Department of Water Resources (DWR) grant project aimed to discover. Grant recipient, Vineyard Team, worked with 59 growers over three years to conduct irrigation-related behavior interviews, Distribution Uniformity evaluations, and determine if continued interaction (nudges) with the grower would increase the adoption of irrigation best management practices in vineyards.

May 6, 2020

Spring 2020 Update: Agricultural Water BMP Adoption Project

Feb 28, 2020

Handy guide for pre, during and after season.

Feb 27, 2020

Mantenimiento del sistema de irrigacion. Previo, durante y despues de la estacion.

Feb 21, 2020
Jacob Hernandez

Literature Review 2018. Describes typical irrigation system components and layout, concepts of Irrigation Efficiency and Uniformity, DU Evaluation and Methodology, common irrigation system problems and solutions.

Jul 4, 2019

Jim Anshutz, Partner, AgH2O talks about irrigation system maintenance, technology, and efficiency.

Mar 7, 2019

Mark Greenspan, Ph.D., President and Viticulturist, Advanced Viticulture, Inc. shares his insights on irrigation scheduling, technology in the vineyard, and more.

Aug 29, 2018
Jacob Hernandez & Craig Macmillan, PhD

In winegrowing regions with insufficient rainfall, the importance of a well-functioning irrigation system cannot be overstated. Here are some of the most common problems found with drip irrigation systems in vineyards and some practical solutions.

Aug 23, 2018
Jacob Hernandez and Ben Burgoa Tailgate Meeting

This meeting brought together experts, boots-in-the-field irrigators, and vineyard managers to share their knowledge and experience with drip irrigation system maintenance and repair.

Mar 15, 2018

Irrigation is just one of many things on a grower’s mind on any given day. To help growers conserve irrigation water in vineyards, Vineyard Team has launched a project to investigate how growers make decisions to adopt agricultural water BMPs.

Nov 16, 2017

Paul Crout, Vineyard Manager and Viticulturist at Vineyard Professional Services explains why keeping records of water and Nitrogen use in the vineyard is important and how to use that information to best manage your crop.

Sep 5, 2017
ITRC Publication

A list of questions you should discuss with your irrigation dealer before purchasing an irrigation system. This will help you make better decisions about system design options. You will also understand the obligations of both yourself and the dealer when designing your irrigation system.

Feb 6, 2017
Craig Macmillan, PhD

To make sure your drip irrigation system is going to operate as your expect it to, follow these steps before the irrigation season arrives.