A First for the Australian Wine Industry
Announcement posted by Wingara Wine Group 22 Aug 2011
Hans’ winning journey began over two years ago after an application of herbicide to one of Katnook Estate’s Coonawarra vineyard failed to have its desired effect. Ever the scientist, Hans began an exhaustive investigation as to why this was the case.
He took nothing for granted, approaching chemical suppliers, spraying equipment manufacturers and researchers in the field before setting about interpreting and applying his findings to the Katnook situation.
The result was an exercise in exhaustive attention to detail and a shining example of best practice, which ultimately has been recognised by this award.
The SPRAY Awards gives due credit to exceptional spray applicators and raises awareness of the need to apply best practice strategies. Syngenta explains “Top sprayers think beyond product application and consider the whole process including timing, rig set-up and choice of nozzles and adjuvants. The finalists set themselves apart by looking at the big picture. In addition to advanced spraying skills, they share a commitment to sustainability and responsibility.
The judging process is conducted in several stages, including on-farm assessments and phone interviews. Machine accuracy, operational set up and occupational health and safety standards are all judged.”
On winning the state award and coming third at national level, Hans said “It’s great to achieve this sort of recognition but for me the main satisfaction comes from managing a great Coonawarravineyard in a truly efficient and sustainable manner. I believe vineyards of the future will be using variable rate applications, as is currently the case with broad acre agriculture, rather than the current blanket application. Combined with recycling sprayer technology, this will significantly reduce chemical usage and drift. I’m excited about fine tuning our spraying practices even further at Katnook Estate.”
He added “I think this is the way of the future for so many reasons, none the least of which is the amount of recording required by accreditations, such as Entwine. What we are now doing is best practice and that takes effort and attention to detail to ensure, in the end, we make the best wine possible. Near enough is not good enough. But the results are startling and worth every ounce of effort. This award is confirmation that Katnook Estate is well and truly on track.”
The competition is conducted across five regions (Queensland/Northern Territory, New South Wales/ACT, Victoria/Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia). Last week, the winner from each region travelled to Tamworth for the official Awards dinner and to experience the AgQuip field days in Gunnedah.
Hans Loder is no stranger to awards, having won the Limestone Coast Emerging Leaders Award in 2009, which resulted in an around the world research trip to profile frost protection systems in some of the world’s great viticultural regions.