Research
Creating our future. Improving yields and vineyard care through research.
We bring the sector together and support research to improve the productivity of UK vineyards. Through our network we are able to promote the work of research bids and provide publicity to the sector. We are currently live with two projects: Smarter Frost Forecasting and the commercial viability of hand-picking robotics.
Frost – Smarter Forecasting, Communication and Management of Frost Risk in Vineyards
£300,000 in funding was secured from Innovate UK, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the UKRI Transforming Food Production Challenge to address the UK’s frost challenges.
The number and severity of UK spring frost events causing vine damage varies from year to year, and in bad years can contribute to significant yield loss. With climate change leading to warmer springs and an earlier budburst (the time when vines are at risk of damage), UK vineyards are expected to remain vulnerable to impactful frost events.
WineGB is a partner in the innovative two-year frost forecasting and management project for grapevines. The cross-organisation study has the potential to revolutionize frost-related crop protection. This project creates hyper-localised, site-specific and variety-specific frost risk forecasts. This means that vineyard managers can make more informed, targeted, and sustainable choices when responding to frost events.
Led by sensor manufacturer Terraprima and agri-tech facilitator Agri-Epi Centre, with support from land-based education provider Plumpton College, vineyard and winery consultancy Vinescapes, vineyard monitoring solution Vinewatch weather forecasting provider WeatherQuest.
We pick robotics
WineGB is working with Cambridge-based company Autopickr and Coopers Croft Vineyard after being awarded £475,000 for a pioneering robotics project.
The research seeks to create a sophisticated robot that can mimic hand-picking as well as assisting with green harvesting and canopy management.
Autopickr, known for their autonomous robots for agricultural use, are leading the project. They are being supported by Innovate UK and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Farming Innovation Programme. Having recently been the recipient of the Innovation in Agriculture award at the 2024 Robotics and Automation awards, Autopickr is now developing a new robot, aptly named ‘Vinny’, which will be capable of performing multiple key vineyard tasks.
flower-chi research projecT
Flowering companion plants and chitosan influences biodiversity, soil health, grape juice and wine composition (FlowerChi).
Research was carried out by NIAB under the supervision of Dr. Belinda Kemp, in collaboration with Growing Kent & Medway, funded by UKRI and supported by Baker Consultants, Chitolytic, Gusbourne Estate, Westwell Estate and WineGB.
Summary: There is a societal demand for environmentally friendly viticultural management practices, that are less reliant on chemical inputs and reduce the carbon footprint of the wine industry. Our study investigated the use of a companion flowering plant (German chamomile/Matricaria chamomilla L.) to deter pests and attract beneficial insects. Chamomile is a fast-growing, insect-pollinated plant with a long flowering period, and volatile-rich (including pest-deterrent component) and is compatible with chitosan. In combination with mushroom-derived low-molecular-weight chitosan (a biopesticide known to be highly compatible with companion flowers), our aim was to generate preliminary data that demonstrates sustainable, practical solutions to reduce disease pressure, increase beneficial insects, decrease pests,and increase soil health in vineyards without negatively impacting grape juice and wine chemistry.