Cassandra Collins, Han Gao and Kerry Wilkinson

Bushfire, March 2008

Magpie Springs,

Hope Forest

Case study: Hope Forest bushfire

Case study: Hope Forest bushfire

• Vineyard affected in March 2008 bushfire

• Semillon and Pinot Noir blocks

• 25 year old vines on own roots

• Borders bushland on eastern side

• Variable levels of damage observed in vineyard

Map courtesy of the Australian New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker

Objectives

• Quantify the reduction in growth in seasons after a bushfire

• Investigate what might be driving any differences

• Longer-term, assess vine recovery

Experimental Design

• Semillon and Pinot Noir

• Scorched vines, Unscorched vines (no damage)

• Vegetative and reproductive measures

• Petiole and juice elemental analysis (ICP-OES)

• Guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol (GC-MS)

Reduction in shoot number

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Me

an s

ho

ot

nu

mb

er

pe

r vi

ne 2009

2010

• Significant reduction in the number of shoots per vine

• Increase in shoots from the cordon

Increase in water shoots at the base of the trunk

Pruning and cane weights

• Semillon no significant differences

• Pinot Noir lower pruning weights

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Pru

nin

g w

eig

ht

(kg/

vin

e) 2009

2010

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Ave

rage

can

e w

eig

ht

(g) 2009

2010

• Semillon very high cane weights

• Pinot Noir slightly higher cane weights

Impact on yield

Scorched Unscorched

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Yie

ld (

kg/v

ine

)

2009

2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Bu

nch

nu

mb

er

pe

r vi

ne

2009

2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Ave

rage

bu

nch

we

igh

t (g

)

2009

2010

Measurement SeasonPinot Noir Semillon

Control Scorched Control Scorched

bunch no./vine2009 79 7 57 1

2010 104 70 75 32

bunch weight2009 98 30 93 37

2010 137 120 152 117

berry number2009 113 53 97 30

2010 129 115 112 95

berry weight2009 0.85 0.52 0.89 1.14

2010 1.03 0.99 1.35 1.32

Effect of fire damage on yield components

Bud fertility

• Pinot Noir bud fertility recovered by Year 2

• Semillon not fully recovered by year 3

Secondary buds

enlarged

Complete death of the

primary bud

Inflorescence

primordia

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

Infl

ore

sce

nce

pri

mo

rdia

pe

r b

ud

Year 2 Year 3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

SemillonUnscorched

SemillonScorched

Pinot NoirUnscorched

Pinot NoirScorched

% P

rim

ary

bu

d n

ecr

osi

s Year 2 Year 3

• Higher incidence of primary bud necrosis in scorched vines

Elemental and chemical analysis

• Very few changes in elemental content in petioles or juice. Most within the adequate concentration range.• Lower boron, calcium and manganese content in petioles in scorched vines in first

year after they were scorched.

• Higher phosphorous and potassium content in the juice

• Guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol (GC-MS) not detected in juice in years following the bushfire

Summary

• Significant reduction in vegetative and reproductive growth

• Variety response?

• Second season after bushfire vegetative and reproductive growth increased

• Bud dissection analysis to assess bud fertility and viability

• Change in pruning strategy and/or management practices may reduce yield loss after bushfire

Acknowledgements

The University of Adelaide

Stuart Brown and Rosemary Gartelmann, Magpie Springs

Australian New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker

Waite Analytical Services

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