Wine Grapes

A guide to applying nutrients with liquid fertilisers in wine grapes

• EASY Liquids fertilisers guide
• Fertigation
• Foliar Sprays
• Replacing nutrients removed in fruit
• Establishing Vines

 

EASY Liquids fertilisers guide

Mature wine grapes, warm climate, 12-20 t/ha, drip irrigated

			Nutrients applied (kg/ha)*
Growth stage	Fertiliser	Product rate	N	P	K
Bud burst – pre-flowering	EASY PK®	100 L/ha	1	12	24
	EASY N	75 L/ha	32
	Topfoliar® OR	4 L/ha (several foliar sprays, 2 weeks apart)
	Zincsol® OR	2 L/ha (several foliar sprays, 2 weeks apart)
	Mangasol®	2 L/ha (several foliar sprays, 2 weeks apart)
Flowering	Don’t fertigate nitrogen over the flowering period
Fruit set-veraison	EASY N	50 L/ha	21.2
Post harvest	EASY N	50 L/ha	21.2
Total (kg nutrient per treated hectare)			75.4	12	24

 

Source: Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, 2011

Notes:
1. Please note that these are only general recommendations. Crop vigour, yield expectations and soil and leaf tissue tests should be used to refine the actual requirements of the crop.
2. Additional nutrients may need to be considered in the program, such as magnesium and iron.
3. Product application rates are the total for the growth stage. The applications may be split into smaller doses for weekly or daily application.
4. On sandy soils inputs may need to be increased by 10-15%.
5. Check the compatibility of fertilisers before trying to apply two products in the same fertigation application. Refer to the Compatibility section for more information.
6. Nitrogen rates can be reduced by 20-50% in some crops with vigorous root stocks (Ramsey) or in some varieties (Shiraz). Monitor canopy and general vine vigour.

Mature wine grapes, cool climate, 5-10 t/ha, drip irrigated

Growth Stage Fertiliser Product rate (L/ha)

			Nutrients applied (kg/ha)*
Growth stage	Fertiliser	Product rate	N	P	K	Ca
Bud burst – pre-flowering	EASY PK®	50 L/ha	0.5	6	12
	EASY N	35 L/ha	14.8
	Topfoliar® OR	4 L/ha (several foliar sprays, 2 weeks apart)
	Zincsol®	2 L/ha (several foliar sprays, 2 weeks apart)
Flowering	Don’t fertigate nitrogen over the flowering period
Fruit set-veraison	EASY Cal®	80 L/ha	10			14
Post harvest	EASY Cal	120 L/ha	14.8			22
Total (kg nutrient per treated hectare)			40.1	6	12	36

 

Source: Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, 2011

Notes:
1. Please note that these are only general recommendations. Crop vigour, yield expectations and soil and leaf tissue tests should be used to refine the actual requirements of the crop.
2. Additional nutrients may need to be considered in the program, such as boron, magnesium and iron.
3. Product application rates are the total for the growth stage. The applications may be split into smaller doses for weekly or daily application.
4. On sandy soils inputs may need to be increased by 10-15%.
5. Check the compatibility of fertilisers before trying to apply two products in the same fertigation application. Refer to the Compatibility section for more information.
6. Nitrogen rates can be reduced by 20-50% in some crops with vigorous root stocks (Ramsey) or in some varieties (Shiraz). Monitor canopy and general vine vigour.

 

Diagram: Understanding the growth cycle.

Source: Grapevine Nutrition ‘Research to Practice’, CRC Viticulture

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Fertigation

EASY N and EASY PK

EASY N and EASY PK can be applied by injection into fixed sprinklers, microjets or drip/trickle irrigation systems.

Apply EASY PK at bud burst, although several smaller applications with weekly or daily fertigation can be used.

Apply EASY N when shoot growth is around 15 cm. Again, applications may be split into small weekly or daily doses. Further nitrogen can be fertigated during the post set to verasion period.

After harvest, a nitrogen application is the most important nutrient to help assimilate carbohydrate for next season’s initial growth. Apply EASY N in warmer regions and EASY Cal in cooler regions where the harvest is later in the season.

In microjet drip systems, inject EASY Liquids® towards the end of the irrigation shift by irrigating for a number of hours, then inject EASY Liquids for 30-45 minutes, followed by flushing the lines with water for another 45 minutes.

Use a similar fertigation schedule for fixed overhead sprinklers. Make sure plenty of time is allowed for flushing the lines after the fertiliser injection to ensure the nutrients are washed off the crop canopy. Flush the lines for at least as much time as it took to inject the fertiliser.

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Foliar sprays

Topfoliar, Zincsol and Mangasol can be applied to vine foliage during phases of rapid shoot growth and pre-flowering.

Zincsol and Mangasol are very important micronutrients for vines grown on alkaline soils.

When using foliar sprays:

• Do not apply foliar sprays when the temperature exceeds 25°C or when vines are under moisture stress.
• Use a wetting agent at the recommended rate. This will help facilitate uptake.
• Use water volumes of 400-1000 L/ha.

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Replacing nutrients removed in fruit

Nutrient removal for wine grapes will vary with climatic region, variety, rootstock combinations, yield, soil type and management techniques such as irrigation scheduling and disease control.

Fertiliser programs can be determined by a combination of the above, soil and petiole analysis and knowledge of the major nutrients removed by the harvest crop.

Nutrient – average kg/ha removed
t/ha	N	P	K	S	Ca	Mg
5-10	17	2	19	1	1	1
11-15	29	4	32	1	2	2
16-20	41	5	45	2	3	3
21-25	51	7	56	2	4	4
26-30	63	8	69	3	5	5

 

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Establishing Vines

It is assumed that lime, gypsum, phosphorus or organic matter has been applied and incorporated into the soil prior to planting.

In young vines, the common fertiliser inputs after planting are nitrogen, potassium, and foliar applications of micronutrients.

Fertigation

EASY N and EASY PK

EASY N and EASY PK can be applied through the irrigation water, through fixed sprinklers, microjets or drip/trickle irrigation systems.

In microject drip systems, inject EASY Liquids towards the end of the irrigation shift by irrigating for a number of hours, then inject EASY Liquids for 30-45 minutes, then flush the lines with water for another 45 minutes.

Use a similar fertigation schedule for fixed overhead sprinklers. Make sure plenty of time is allowed for flushing the lines after the fertiliser injection to ensure the nutrients are washed off the crop canopy. Flush the lines for at least as much time as it took to inject the fertiliser.

Do not to fertigate when rain is forecast as nutrients (particularly nitrate nitrogen) may be lost through leaching.

EASY Liquids should be injected on a regular basis during the growing season to ensure even growth. Do not stimulate growth with fertigation in the late summer – early autumn period because the new growth may not mature prior to dormancy or
frost.

Foliar sprays

Topfoliar can be applied to young vines when there is sufficient leaf or canopy area (at least 12 leaves/vine). Apply 300-400 mL/100L of water either using a hand held spray gun, multi-nozzled boom or low volume mister.

When foliar spraying Topfoliar:

• Do not apply when the temperature exceeds 25°C or when vines are under moisture stress.
• Use a wetting agent at the recommended rate. This will help facilitate uptake.

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For further information, contact your local Incitec Pivot Fertilisers’ Distributor or freecall 1800 009 832.

www.incitecpivot.com.au

This is a guide only, which we hope you find helpful as a general tool. While Incitec Pivot Fertilisers has taken all reasonable care in the preparation of this guide, it should not be relied on as a substitute for tailored professional advice and Incitec Pivot Fertilisers accepts no liability in connection with this guide. Talk to your local Incitec Pivot Fertilisers Distributor Agronomist about soil testing and arranging a specific fertiliser recommendation that best suits your needs.

® EASY Liquids, EASY N, EASY PK and EASY Cal are registered trademarks of Incitec Pivot Limited. ® Topfoliar, Mangasol and Zincsol are registered trademarks of Top Australia Limited.

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers is a business of Incitec Pivot Limited, ABN 42 004 080 264.

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