5x yield differences in the same row

Variable Rate Irrigation Approach for Wine Grapes in

California

Luis SanchezCalifornia Irrigation Institute Conference

Sacramento, January 26, 2016

Variable vineyards

Plant Available Water

Colony 13 – Petite Sirah

5x yield differences in the same row

Through Precision Viticulture:• Management to optimize vineyard

performance– Responding to field variability– Maximizing grape yield and quality– Minimizing environmental footprint

How can we manage vineyard variability?

• Variable rate irrigation– Other crops:

• Sensor-driven systems in nurseries• Center pivot systems in grain crops

– Wine grapes: management zones• Australia (McClymont et al. 2012; Proffitt and Pearce 2004)

• Spain (Bellvert et al. 2012; Martínez-Casasnovas et al. 2009)

• ….and California

Precision Viticulture

Not

flexible!

Soil 1

Soil 2

Zona

l Irr

igati

on

VF PUMP

Irrigation management zone 1


Zona

l Irr

igati

on

VF PUMPSoil 3



Zona

l Irr

igati

on

Soil 3

Soil 1

Soil 2

Mod

ular

Irrig

ation

VF PUMP

Soil 3

Soil 1

Soil 2

Mod

ular

Irrig

ation

VF PUMP

Wine Program A

Wine Program B

Mod

ular

Irrig

ation

Objective:Develop and operate a proof-of-concept VRI system prototype and validate it by:• Decreasing vineyard variability• Optimizing fruit yield and quality• Maintaining/improving water use efficiency

Variable Rate Irrigation Study

Experiment location

Colony Ranch, Wilton CA

2012 yield mapColony 2A Cabernet Sauvignon

• Wilton, California• 31.5 acres• 5 x 11 feet• 17-year old• Teleki 5C• Hand-pruned• Drip-irrigated

• San Joaquin silt loam (~ 75%)• San Joaquin-Galt complex (~ 25%)• 500 mm (20”) annual rainfall• Highly variable

2012 Yieldtons per acre

12963

Varia

ble

rate

VRI

Con

vent

iona

lC

I

Field layoutLandsat data

30 meter2012 Yieldtons per acre

12963

Block area: 31.5 acresVRI & CI: 10.0 acres

Field average: 9.17 tons/acre

140 Irrigation Zones

VRI General layout

Node-Solenoid, Check Valve, Tee

Flow meter

Flushing solenoid valve

Sub-main Valves

4 DL

4 DL

5 DL

5 DL

5 DL

4 DL

4 DL

4 DL

4 DL

5 DL

5 DL

5 DL

4 DL

5 DL

4 DL

4 DL

5 DL

5 DL

5 DL

4 DL

4 DL

4 DL

4 DL

5 DL

5 DL

5 DL

4 DL

5 DL

Variable Flow Pump

VRI System design

solenoid valvecheck valveemitters

4”

Check valve

2”2” Solenoid valve

Power locadapter

Power loctee

Tubing, 0.69”ID

emitters emitters

VRI System design

Control board480 VAC

115 VAC

Communications to South and North

12 VDC to 14 subnets

UPSbox

CellAntenna

Power distribution

boxControl

box

Lightning arrestor

• METRIC (Mapping evapotranspiration at high resolution and internalized calibration)

• ET residual of surface energy balance

Rn + LE + G + H = 0• Inputs

– Landsat (visible & infrared)– CIMIS weather data

• Outputs– ETc– Kc (f/NDVI)

• Watering of each zone: ETc * Km(ETc = ETref * Kc)

Variable rate irrigation scheduling

Rn

G

LEH

• System can be used to:1. Irrigate each zone according to vine size with-

out altering natural variability uniform Km2. Apply more water to low vigor areas in order to

increase vine size and yield and decrease vineyard variability variable Km

We want #2!But can default to #1 under severe water shortage


# of irrigation

zones

Irrigation management factor

May4 weeks

June4 weeks

July - Oct16 weeks

140 0.0 – 1.0 0.5 – 0.8 0.6 – 1.0


Adjusting Km based on vine vigor

Landsat NDVIsNDVI = Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

% maximum

5/24/15 6/25/15 7/27/15 8/25/15


Low High Average

2012 -- -- 1.50 1.50

2013 1.24 1.49 1.37 1.50

2014 0.99 1.72 1.36 1.23

2015 0.99 1.17 1.10 1.26

YearVRI

CI

Irrigation + rain received 3/1 thru 9/30Acre feet

Variable rate (VRI) yield - Normalized

2012 Yield: Mean = 8.9 t/a6.1 – 12.4 t/aSpread = 0.71

2013 Yield: Mean = 7.7 t/a

6.3 – 8.9 t/aSpread = 0.33

2014 Yield:Mean = 10.1 t/a

6.2 – 14.0 t/aSpread = 0.76


4.2 – 6.7 t/aSpread = 0.50

Conventional (CI) yield - Normalized



2014 Yield:Mean = 8.7 t/a6.1 – 14.3 t/aSpread = 0.93


3.1 – 8.8 t/aSpread = 1.27

VRI CI VRI CI

2012 8.9 8.9 0.0 5.93 5.93 0.0

2013 7.7 7.4 4.1 5.63 4.93 14.2

2014 10.1 8.7 16.1 7.43 7.08 4.9

2015 5.1 4.6 10.9 4.27 3.65 17.1

Year

Yield (tons/acre)

Gain VRI/CI

(%)

WUE (tons/acre-foot)

Gain VRI/CI

(%)

Yield and water use efficiency

Average 10% Average 12%

Vine performance data

• 5-vine plots• Yield components• Vine physiology• Fruit composition/quality • Wine composition/quality

Fruit Yield and Quality

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2012 2013 2014 2015

Yiel

d (to

ns/a

cre)

VRI CI

a a a b ba ba

0102030405060708090

2012 2013 2014 2015

Grap

e Q

ualit

y In

dex

VRI CI

a ba a a a ba

Conclusions• Modular variable rate drip irrigation system

prototype was successfully implemented• Vineyard variability was manipulated with

precision• Yield was increased during 3 seasons by an

average of 10% with up to 17% gain in water use efficiency

• Potential decreases in quality could be offset with standard canopy manipulations

Next step: 2nd generation system

System tested in Israel on wine grapes and citrus during 2015

All valves and controls outside the vine rows!

Next step: 2nd generation systemLivingston 5-yr old Malbec

Texture Subsurface

• 96 irrigation zones• 30x30m each• 24.4 acres• Includes VR fertilization

1411

852

2015 yield tons/acre

Next step: 2nd generation system

• 20-30% cost increase over commercial standard • Multiple vineyards• Other permanent crops

Acknowledgments• E&J Gallo Winery

– Viticulture Lab: Brent Sams, Maegan Salinas, Erin Troxell, George Zhuang, Cassandra Plank, Tian Tian, Cody Lichtfield, Nona Ebisuda

– Chemistry: Hui Chong, Bruce Pan, Natalia Loscos, Bianca Wiens– Research Winery: David Santino– GVI-CV: Alan Reynolds, John Owens VII, Christopher Bach, Evan Goldman– GIS-CE: Andrew Morgan– Nick Dokoozlian

• IBM (TJ Watson Lab & Data Center Services)– TJ Watson Lab, NY: Levente Klein, Nigel Hinds, Hendrik Hamann– Data Services, CA: Alan Claassen, David Lew

• Netafim Israel: Avi Schweitzer, Itamar Nadav• James Taylor, New Castle University, UK• Ernie and Jeff Dosio, Pacific Agrilands• Scott Britten & Associates, Bennett & Bennett• Bernd Kleinlagel, ATV, Australia

Thank you!

Fruit Yield and Quality

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2012 2013 2014

GQI

VRICI

a ba a a a

0

5

10

15

20

25

2012 2013 2014

Yiel

d (t

ons/

hect

are)

VRICI

a a a b ba

2014 Leafing study

LAIHV / L = High vigor, Leafing

HV / NL = High vigor, No Leafing

LV / NL = Low vigor, No Leafing

50

55

60

65

70

75

LV / NL HV / NL HV / L

GQI

Colony 2A Cabernet Sauvignon

50

55

60

65

70

75

LV / NL HV / NL HV / L

GQI

Colony 2A Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Leafing study

LAIHV / L = High vigor, Leafing

HV / NL = High vigor, No Leafing

LV / NL = Low vigor, No Leafing

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

HV / L HV / NL LV / NL

Grap

e Q

ualit

y In

dex

Leafing-Vigor

• Typically between 2 to 2.5 acre-feet/season– 650,000 to 815,000 gallons per acre

• For 10 ton/acre yield:– 65,000 to 81,500 gallons/ton– WUE = 4 to 5 tons/acre-foot

Irrigation water use in CA wine grapes

2nd generation system

Controllers& valves

1

1

2 3 4

234

bundles

Sub-mains

Main water source from pump

5x yield differences in the same row

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