The Yarra Valley wine industry has announced it is turning to smartphone technology in an endeavour to track insects and protect commercial vineyards from devastating damage.
As simple to use as its name suggests, free Australian app Snap Send Solve is the tool of choice for winegrowers and property managers to monitor commercial vineyards and report suspect infestations of phylloxera – an insect that feeds primarily on the roots and sometimes the leaves of grapevines – to Agriculture Victoria for testing and on-farm management.
The move follows the successful implementation of Snap Send Solve in the Mornington Peninsula, where it is being used as a tool for community members to report Amenity grapevines (vines used for decorative purposes) to ensure they are part of the “Phylloxera Stop the Spread!” testing program.
“Growers can use the Snap Send Solve application to self-report suspect vines. Agriculture Victoria will then undertake an inspection of the vine to confirm whether it is affected by phylloxera,” said Victoria’s chief plant health officer Dr Rosa Crnoy.
