At the start, we aimed to make it very easy for farmers to collect data out in the field. Whether on the tractor or walking through rows of trees, we wanted to make it seamless, easy, and quick to record those observations in the moment. It made sense to start here because without quality observations and data from your farm, it would have been silly to talk about trends and patterns.
Fast-forward to the present: we have multiple farmers with enough quality data to start looking at trends and patterns – an exciting new area. Many farmers have already found the graphs provided great insights around harvest (see the Veraison graph below) and more.
We always make Sectormentor as customisable as possible, the Trends section included. You can see in the examples below many different variables can be plotted against each other over different timeframes. We want to ensure you can get the insights you want for your farm.
Pruning Weights for each Variety
This graph shows the average pruning weight per vine for all the different varieties at Davenport Vineyards in 2017. It clearly shows that both the newer Siegerrebe and Bacchus are much more vigorous than the older vines of the same variety. This will allow them to make better soil health and pruning plans. It also looks like they are aiming for an average of around 1 kg per vine of pruning weight across most varieties. The next step is that we will be plotting pruning weights per variety over time as this indicates the management of vigour of the vines.
Number & Severity of Frosts for each Variety
This graph shows the frequency (height of the bar) and intensity (colour) of frost across each of the different varieties in the last year at Davenport Vineyards. The frost hit hardest the Bacchus New, Chardonnay 9, Ortega New, Pinot Noir Redmoors and Siegerriebe New. The team discussed that it would be interesting to overlay this graph with yields and see just how much the frost affected yields – this knowledge will be invaluable if heavy frosts hit again in future years.
Shoots per vine for each Variety
This shows the average number of shoots per vine per variety in 2016 at Davenport Vineyards.
Vine Health for each Parcel
This shows the health of vines in each parcel recorded at a UK vineyard a month before harvest. Interesting to see the clonal parcels of Chardonnay 78, 95 and Pinot Meunier 865 where there are a large number of vines in ok condition. The team will be paying extra attention to these 3 parcels as harvest approaches to prevent late fungal attacks or Botrytis issues.
Veraison for each Parcel
This graph was very helpful in the UK as the grapes turned colour ahead of harvest. It shows how many of the sample sites within each parcel had reached veraison. It was helpful to understand how far along each area was and therefore predict how the harvest might play out across different plots.
