ausvit

The AusVit™ Chemical Database: A success story from the former Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture.

The AusVit™ Chemical Database is a comprehensive database providing detailed information on registered agrochemicals to assist grape growers and vineyard managers to achieve their target levels of vineyard efficiency. Originating from the former Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture (CRCV), the AusVit™ Chemical Database provides grape growers and vineyard managers with tools to record the spraying activities of their vineyard and to manage yield and fruit quality, while reducing the risk of crop losses and minimising the use of chemicals. In collaboration with several commercial software companies, the CRCV successfully incorporated the AusVit™ Chemical Database into a number of commercially available products to create a product/database/tool with added value for the Australian wine industry. The CRCV maintained an active role in these products through the provision of regular updates to the content of the database, ensuring that the Australian wine industry was equipped with the latest information regarding registered agrochemicals. At the end of the CRCV’s funded term, the AusVit™ Chemical Database was assigned to The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) with funds to provide a final update to the AusVit™ Chemical Database in its traditional form. The final update to the AusVit™ Chemical Database includes information on 96 new registered agrochemical products. The update of the AusVit™ Chemical Database is available here (1.88mb).

The update provides users of the AusVit™ Chemical Database Version 3.2 with the latest information on agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture. This will be the final update provided to users. Grape growers and managers are encouraged to explore the products available for chemical management to suit the needs of their vineyard. Since its inception the AusVit™ Chemical Database has evolved into a commercial success story for the CRCV and for AWRI: the database is now fully incorporated into commercial software and requires limited continued support from the research community of the Australian wine industry. The CRCV, in collaboration with commercial enterprise, has been successful in identifying the needs of the Australian wine industry and developing a product – an example of how CRC’s generate clear outcomes for Australia’s industries. There are now several tools available to grape growers and wineries in the chemical management of their vineyards. Examples include:

  • PAM AusVit
  • Infopest
  • Vine Access
  • AVi (with the AusVit Chemical Database)

In addition, The Australian Wine Research Institute and the AWRI website is a great source of information on agrochemicals registered for use in Australian viticulture. The AWRI has recently launched an online, searchable version of the AWRI ‘dog book’, expanding on the scope of the ‘dog book’. Access to this information will ensure that grape growers and wine makers are provided with the most relevant and up-to-date information for the management of their vineyards and the benefit of the Australian wine industry.