Irrigation & Drought Resources
Irrigation Practices
The following presentations are from UC Davis and cover vineyard irrigation practices including Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI).
UC Wine Grape Irrigation Part 1: UC Wine Grape Irrigation Part 1
UC Wine Grape Irrigation Part 2: UC Wine Grape Irrigation Part 2
Effect of heatwaves on the vines
The unusual increase in temperatures experienced in Southern California could have detrimental effects on this year's crop.
Heat waves can affect grapevine development including defoliation, berry growth, delay of sugar accumulation and color development among others. The attached fact sheet illustrates how vines are managed during heat waves in Australia.
UC Drought Management Resources
The University of California Drought Management website provides information for a wide range of crops:
Visit: Drought Management Resources
Irrigation Management Resources
The California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) website. CIMIS is a program unit in the Water Use and Efficiency Branch, Division of Statewide Integrated Water Management, California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that manages a network of over 145 automated weather stations in California. CIMIS was developed in 1982 by DWR and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). It was designed to assist irrigators in managing their water resources more efficiently. Efficient use of water resources benefits Californians by saving water, energy, and money.
Visit: CIMIS Water Use Management Website
Irrigation Management of Winegrapes
With a Limited Water Supply. "Appropriate irrigation scheduling" is an axiom whereby irrigations are scheduled to apply an optimum quantity of water that maximizes productivity. This often results in maintaining soil water content near field capacity. However, in the production of wine grapes, it has long been recognized that water deficits can lead to improved fruit quality-especially in red wine varieties. The following is a simplified summary of recommendations for irrigating wine grapes with limited water supplies.