A three-year project which addressed the environmental and economic concerns of using agrichemicals in vineyards, is regarded as an unqualified success.
Dr Phil Elmer of Plant & Food Research at Ruakura says growers in the grape futures project were asked to completely change the pest and disease management practices on part of their vineyard.
The project began with 18 Hawke's Bay grape growers and expanded in the second year to include Gisborne growers, most of whom were chardonnay producers.
Dr Elmer says a real measure of the project's success will be whether the growers who took part, will be prepared to change their pest and disease management on the whole vineyard.
