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When you think about the sheer numbers of plastic ‘bread bag’ clips, metal twisty ties and cane clips littering vineyards, it is a worrying thought.
Plastics don’t change from their polymer form, but break into smaller bits which remain in the environment. Microplastics can enter water and infiltrate sea ecosystems.
PolyNatural offers a sustainable alternative using raw materials which are sourced from renewable resources and created through fermentation. The Christchurch-based company was at WinePro in Blenheim in late June, with live grapevines on display to demonstrate vine clips, foliage clips as well as plant protectors.
They are now launching the Vine Halo, developed based on feedback from WinePro and specifically designed to help protect young vines from rabbits, sprays and the elements. Another new product is foliage clips, used to manage the vine canopy.
The new products build on the successful material technology used in the PolyNatural Vine Clip and represents a significant advancement in sustainable viticulture practices. Because they are made by bacteria they get eaten by microorganisms, with the rate of breakdown dependent on the PolyNatural formulation, the thickness of the product, humidity, surrounding pH, UV radiation and temperature.
The products can be returned back to PolyNatural Christchurch facility to be used as feedstock.
A New Zealand startup that’s helped remediate smoke taint in wine in Canada and the United States could reduce time, additives and waste in wine production. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) underpin amaea’s technology to selectively remove specific molecules and molecular compounds from wine, meaning winemakers can fine-tune their sensory profile with more precision and less waste.
A lighter environmental footprint is pushing the “humble” bag-in-box and other alternative packaging options into the limelight, says Fugitive Organic Co-founder and Winemaker Nadine Worley.
A project tapping into financial information from organic winegrowers will result in hard data to back up anecdotal accounts, says Framingham viticulturist James Bowskill.
RNA technology could be a gamechanger in vineyards, with the ability to turn gene expression on or off to protect a vine or boost its performance, says molecular biologist Dr Ellie Bradley.
When work shouts you one educational trip a year, why not choose one halfway around the world?
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